The rhodium‐catalyzed methylation of ketones has been accomplished using methanol as the methylating agent and the hydrogen‐borrowing method. The sequence is notable for the relatively low temperatures that are required and for the ability of the reaction system to form α‐branched products with ease. Doubly alkylated ketones can be prepared from methyl ketones and two different alcohols by using a sequential one‐pot iridium‐ and rhodium‐catalyzed process.

Reported herein is the use of catalytic [{Ir(cod)Cl}₂] to facilitate hydrogen‐borrowing reactions of ketone enolates with methanol at 65 °C. An oxygen atmosphere accelerates the process, and when combined with the use of a bulky monodentate phosphine ligand, interrupts the catalytic cycle by preventing enone reduction. Subsequent addition of pro‐nucleophiles to the reaction mixture allowed a one‐pot methylenation/conjugate addition protocol to be developed, which greatly expands the range of products that can be made by this methodology.