An atom‐economic approach that has an unprecedented high selectivity for the synthesis of lactic acid (LA) based on a catalytic dehydrogenative cross‐coupling by using inexpensive bulk ethylene glycol and methanol is described. This method relies on the synthesis and utilization of a novel iridium catalyst bearing three N‐heterocyclic carbenes derived from 1,3‐dimethylbenzimidazolium salts, and exhibits outstanding activity in the production of LA [turnover frequency (TOF) up to 3660 h−1] owing to an elegant metal–ligand cooperation.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.202002403