Metal-Free Regioselective Cross Dehydrogenative Coupling of Cyclic Ethers and Aryl Carbonyls.

A highly regioselective, efficient, and metal-free oxidative cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of aryl carbonyls with cyclic ethers has been developed. This method offers easy access to substituted α-arylated cyclic ethers with a high functional group tolerance in good to excellent yields. The regioselectivity of this CDC reaction was confirmed by density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations.