Tin-free radical/ionic hydroxymethylation of secondary and tertiary alkyliodides proceeded efficiently in the presence of tetrabutylammonium borohydride as the hydrogen source under atmospheric pressure of CO in conjunction with photoirradiation using black light. Two possible mechanisms were proposed, both of which involve hybrid radical/ionicprocesses.
Herein, we developed an effective strategy for the synthesis of one-carbon-extended alcohols through cobalt-catalyzed hydroxymethylation of alkyl halides with carbonmonoxide as the C1 source and cheap and environmentally friendly PMHS as the hydride source. This procedure also features a ligand-free cobalt catalyst and a broad range of functional group tolerance.