Sustainable Synthesis of α‐Hydroxycarboxylic Acids by Manganese Catalyzed Acceptorless Dehydrogenative Coupling of Ethylene Glycol and Primary Alcohols**

Abstract

Herein, we report a straightforward synthesis of valuable α‐hydroxycarboxylic acid molecules via an acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of ethylene glycol and primary alcohols. A bench‐stable manganese complex catalyzed the reaction, which is scalable, with the product being isolated with high yields and selectivities under mild conditions. The protocol is environmentally benign, producing water and hydrogen gas as the only byproducts. Methanol can also be used as a C1 source for producing the platform molecule lactic acid, with a high turnover of >104. The methodology was also used to functionalize alcohols derived from natural products and fatty acids. Furthermore, it was applied for synthesizing α‐amino acid, α‐thiocarboxylic acid, and several drugs and bioactive molecules, including endogenous metabolites, Danshensu, Enalapril, Lisinopril, and Rosmarinic acid. Preliminary mechanistic studies were performed to shed light on the mechanism involved in the reaction.