Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Synthesis of α‐Alkylated Ketones and Quinolines in an Aqueous Medium via a Hydrogen‐Borrowing Strategy Using Ketones and Alcohols

Abstract Herein, we report a simple, efficient, and sustainable method for the synthesis of α‐alkylated ketones and quinolines using a hydrogen‐borrowing strategy, which has emerged as a greener alternative in organic transformation reactions. Synthesis of a range of α‐alkylated ketones and quinoline derivatives was achieved by using the water‐soluble [Ru(8‐AQ)Cl(p‐cym.)] + Cl − [Ru]‐1 (AQ=aminoquinoline) catalyst with water as the reaction medium. By adopting this strategy, we have synthesized α‐alkylated ketones and quinolines using ketones or secondary alcohols as starting materials and the primary alcohol as a green and naturally abundant alkylating agent.