Oxidation-reductive coupling of alcohols catalyzed by oxo-vanadium complexes

Oxo-vanadium complexes are found to catalyze the redox dis-proportionation of benzylic and allylic alcohols, which results in co-production of carbonyl products and reductively coupled hydrocarbon dimers. Preliminary experimental and computational findings suggest the intervention of reduced V-alkoxide species, which undergo facile C-O bond homolysis to produce carbon free radicals, precursors to the hydrocarbon dimers.