Behinderung, Despotismus, Deoxygenierung - vom Exil zum Mitglied der Akademie: Nikolai Matwejewitsch Kishner

Catalytic Generation of Carbanions through Carbonyl Umpolung

Carbonyl Umpolung is a powerful strategy in organic chemistry to construct complex molecules. Over the last few years, versatile catalytic approaches for the generation of acyl anion equivalents from carbonyl compounds have been developed, but methods to obtain alkyl carbanions from carbonyl compounds in a catalytic fashion are still at an early stage. This Minireview summarizes recent progress in the generation of alkyl carbanions through catalytic carbonyl Umpolung. Two different catalytic approaches can be utilized to enable the generation of alkyl carbanions from carbonyl compounds: the catalytic Wolff–Kishner reaction and the catalytic single‐electron reduction of carbonyl compounds and imines. We discuss the reaction scope, mechanistic insights, and synthetic applications of the methods as well as potential future developments.

Aleksei Yevgen'evich Chichibabin (1871-1945): A Century of Pyridine Chemistry

Tutor, journalist, patriot, and defector: Aleksei Yevgen'evich Chichibabin made seminal contributions to the chemistry of pyridines. As the Chichibabin reaction enters its second century, it is appropriate to re-examine the life of this remarkable chemist and his legacy to heterocyclic chemistry.