Evidence of CuI/CuII Redox Process by X‐ray Absorption and EPR Spectroscopy: Direct Synthesis of Dihydrofurans from β‐Ketocarbonyl Derivatives and Olefins

Abstract: The CuI/CuII and CuI/CuIII catalytic cycles have been subject to intense debate in the field of copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions. A mechanistic study on the CuI/CuII redox process, by X-ray absorption (XAS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies, has elucidated the reduction mechanism of CuII to CuI by 1,3-diketone and detailed investigation revealed that the halide ion is important for the reduction process. The oxidative nature of the thereby-formed CuI has also been studied by XAS and EPR spectroscopy. This mechanistic information is applicable to the copper-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of b-ketocarbonyl derivatives to dihydrofurans. This protocol provides an ideal route to highly substituted dihydrofuran rings from easily available 1,3-dicarbonyls and olefins. Copper