The SmI2/H2O/pyrrolidine mediated cleavage of benzylic alcohols and benzyl groups was studied and found to be a viable alternative to the Birch reduction yielding the corresponding deoxygenated product in excellent yield. The reaction has been investigated by kinetic methods, and a mechanism involving a pre-complexation of the alcohol to SmI2 followed by an amine mediated electron transfer and subsequent bond cleavage and transfer of a ...
