Methoden der Reaktivitätsumpolung

Rhodium(III)-catalyzed alkenyl C-H bond functionalization: convergent synthesis of furans and pyrroles

Ring in the new: a new annulation for the efficient synthesis of substituted furans and pyrroles is reported. The Rh(III) -catalyzed reaction of O-methyl α,β-unsaturated oximes with aldehydes and N-tosyl imines affords secondary alcohol and amine intermediates, respectively. Cyclization and aromatization occurs under the reaction conditions to provide access to biologically relevant furans and pyrroles in good yields. Cp*=C(5)Me(5), DCE=1,2-dichloroethane, THF=tetrahydrofuran.

Silyl ketene imines: highly versatile nucleophiles for catalytic, asymmetric synthesis

This Minireview provides an overview on the development of silyl ketene imines and their recent applications in catalytic, enantioselective reactions. The unique structure of the ketene imine allows a diverse range of reactivity patterns and provides solutions to existing challenges in the enantioselective construction of quaternary stereogenic carbon centers and cross-benzoin adducts. A variety of reactions for which silyl ketene imines have been applied are presented with an overall goal of inspiring new uses for these underutilized nucleophiles.

Exploiting Acyl and Enol Azolium Intermediates via NHeterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Reactions of Alpha-Reducible Aldehydes

N-heterocyclic carbenes are well known for their role in catalyzing benzoin and Stetter reactions: the generation of acyl anion equivalents from simple aldehydes to react with a variety of electrophiles. However, when an aldehyde bearing a leaving group or unsaturation adjacent to the acyl anion equivalent is subjected to an NHC, a new avenue of reactivity is unlocked, leading to a number of novel transformations which can generate highly complex products from simple starting materials, many of which are assembled through unconventional bond disconnections. The field of these new reactions - those utilizing α-reducible aldehydes to access previously unexplored catalytic intermediates - has expanded rapidly in the past eight years. This review aims to provide the reader with a historical perspective on the underlying discoveries that led to the current state of the art, a mechanistic description of these reactions, and a summary of the recent advances in this area.

Fluorine conformational effects in organocatalysis: an emerging strategy for molecular design

Molecular design strategies that profit from the intrinsic stereoelectronic and electrostatic effects of fluorinated organic molecules have mainly been restricted to bio-organic chemistry. Indeed, many fluorine conformational effects remain academic curiosities with no immediate application. However, the renaissance of organocatalysis offers the possibility to exploit many of these well-described phenomena for molecular preorganization. In this minireview, we highlight examples of catalyst refinement by introduction of an aliphatic C-F bond which functions as a chemically inert steering group for conformational control.

Carbene catalysts

The use of N-heterocyclic carbenes as catalysts for organic transformations has received increased attention in the past 10 years. A discussion of catalyst development and nucleophilic characteristics precedes a description of recent advancements and new reactions using N-heterocyclic carbenes in catalysis.

Mechanistic investigation of the enantioselective intramolecular stetter reaction: proton transfer is the first irreversible step

A study on the mechanism of the asymmetric intramolecular Stetter reaction is reported. This investigation includes the determination of the rate law, kinetic isotope effects, and competition experiments. The reaction was found to be first order in aldehyde and azolium catalyst or free carbene. A primary kinetic isotope effect was found for the proton of the aldehyde. Taken together with a series of competition experiments, these results suggest that proton transfer from the tetrahedral intermediate formed upon nucleophilic attack of the carbene onto the aldehyde is the first irreversible step.

Heuristic chemistry--addition reactions

Organic chemistry is often considered a difficult subject requiring great effort to achieve expert status. Only once this level has been reached, judging, deciding, and recalling chemical information will be fast and guided by heuristic strategies. These principles, used intuitively, improve the efficiency and speed of problem-solving and decision-making procedures. Establishing these strategies in teaching and learning chemistry should significantly help students acquire well-structured procedural knowledge early in their education. In an attempt to improve conceptual thinking in teaching organic chemistry, in this contribution we develop a heuristic view of addition reactions and propose a new way of perceiving this class of organic reactions.