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Synlett 2011(19): 2901-2902  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1289873
SPOTLIGHT
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Potassium tert-Butoxide

Yong Wang*
College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. of China
e-Mail: zjutwangy@126.com;
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Publication History

Publication Date:
11 November 2011 (online)

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Introduction

Potassium tert-butoxide (KOt-Bu, mp 256˜258 ˚C), recognized as one of the most commercially available and versatile alkoxide bases in organic synthesis, has attracted increasing attention in recent years, and many excellent examples promoted by KOt-Bu, such as alkylations, intramolecular aldol condensations, Michael additions, ketone cleavages, oxidations and rearrangement reactions have been reported. [¹] As to its continued popularity, the reason may partly be ascribed to the fact that its base strength is highly dependent on the choice of reaction solvent. The range from the strongest to the weakest is listed as follows: KOt-Bu in DMSO, neat KOt-Bu, KOt-Bu in toluene or in THF, and KOt-Bu in t-BuOH. Moreover, ­potassium tert-butoxide also serves as an efficient and powerful base in transition-metal-catalyzed couplings like Suzuki and Buchwald-Hartwig reactions, etc. [²]

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