EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE SYNTHESIS OFARYLETHER FROM TOSYLHYDRAZONES ANDPHENOLSVIASIMPLE AMINO ACID L-PROLINE CATALYSIS
Aryl ethers are ubiquitous motifs in natural products and pharmaceutical compounds. They also serve as highlyversatile scaffolds in synthetic organic chemistry. Traditionally, the synthesis of aryl ethers has often reliedontransition-metal-catalysed reactions under harsh and potentially hazardous conditions. In contrast, this workintroduces a novel, mild, and efficient strategy for synthesising aryl ethers through the reductive couplingof tosylhydrazones with phenols, utilising the readily available and environmentally benign amino acid L-proline as anorganocatalyst. L-Proline is well known for its versatility in both asymmetric and non-asymmetric transformations, and in this reaction, its secondary amine and carboxylic acid functionalities act cooperatively to promote catalysis. This protocol provides a practical, metal-free alternative for aryl ether formation, demonstrating broad functional group tolerance and operational simplicity.
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