Conversion of Alcohols into Homologated Esters

Jonathan Williams has extended his ”borrowing hydrogen” methodology to carbon-carbon bond formation using malonate half esters as acetate equivalents and effecting a net alkylation with a primary alcohol.  12 examples are listed with yields between 71-100%.  Most of the examples involve benzyl alcohols but there are also some aliphatic examples such as n-octanol.

J.M.J. Williams et al, Tet. Letts., 2008, 49, 7413-7415.