Thioimidazoyl carbamate

The Barton deoxygenation (or Barton-McCombie deoxygenation) is a two-step reaction sequence for the reduction of an alcohol to an alkane. The alcohol is first converted to a methyl xanthate or thioimidazoyl carbamate. Then, the xanthate or ihioimidazoyl carbamate is reduced with a tin hydride reagent under radical conditions to afford the alkane. Trialkylsilanes have also been used as the hydride source. Reviews (a) McCombie, S. W. In Comprehensive Organic Synthesis Trost, B. M. Fleming, I., Eds. Pergamon Press Oxford, U. K., 1991 Vol. 8, Chapter 4.2 Reduction of Saturated Alcohols and Amines to Alkanes, pp. 818-824. (b) Crich, D. Quintero, L. Chem. Rev. 1989, 89, 1413-1432. 

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