Enantioselective Formal α-Methylation and α-Benzylation of Aldehydes by Means of Photo-organocatalysis

Electrochemical Asymmetric Radical Functionalization of Aldehydes Enabled by a Redox Shuttle

Aminocatalysis is a well-established tool that enables the production of enantioenriched compounds under mild conditions. Its versatility is underscored by its seamless integration with various synthetic approaches. While the combination of aminocatalysis with metal catalysis, photochemistry, and stoichiometric oxidants has been extensively explored, its synergy with electrochemical activation remains largely unexplored. Herein, we present the successful merger of electrochemistry and aminocatalysis to perform SOMO-type transformations, expanding the toolkit for asymmetric electrochemical synthesis. The methodology harnesses electricity to drive the oxidation of catalytically generated enamines, which ultimately partake in enantioselective radical processes, leading to α-alkylated aldehydes. Crucially, mechanistic studies highlight how this electrochemical strategy is enabled by the use of a redox shuttle, 4,4'-dimethoxybiphenyl, to prevent catalyst degradation and furnishing the coveted compounds in good yield and high enantioselectivity.

Amine-Rich Carbon Dots as Novel Nano-Aminocatalytic Platforms in Organic Synthesis

The development of novel and effective metal-free catalytic systems, which can drive value-added organic transformations in environmentally benign solvents (for instance, water), is highly desirable. Moreover, these new catalysts need to be harmless, easy-to-prepare, and potentially recyclable. In this context, amine-rich carbon dots (CDs) have recently emerged as promising nano-catalytic platforms. These nitrogen-doped nanoparticles, which show dimensions smaller than 10 nm, generally consist of carbon cores that are surrounded by shells containing numerous amino groups. In recent years, organic chemists have used these surface amines to guide the design of several synthetic methodologies under mild operative conditions. This Concept highlights the recent advances in the synthesis of amine-rich carbon dots and their applications in organic catalysis, including forward-looking opportunities within this research field.

Synergistic Strategies in Aminocatalysis

Synergistic catalysis offers the unique possibility of simultaneous activation of both the nucleophile and the electrophile in a reaction. A requirement for this strategy is the stability of the active species towards the reaction conditions and the two concerted catalytic cycles. Since the beginning of the century, aminocatalysis has been established as a platform for the stereoselective activation of carbonyl compounds through HOMO-raising or LUMO-lowering. The burgeoning era of aminocatalysis has been driven by a deep understanding of these activation and stereoinduction modes, thanks to the introduction of versatile and privileged chiral amines. The aim of this review is to cover recent developments in synergistic strategies involving aminocatalysis in combination with organo-, metal-, photo-, and electro-catalysis, focusing on the evolution of privileged aminocatalysts architectures.

Green Asymmetric Organocatalysis

Asymmetric organocatalysis is becoming one of the main tools for the synthesis of chiral compounds that are needed as medicines, crop protection agents, and other bioactive molecules. It can be effectively combined with various green chemistry methodologies. Intensification techniques, such as ball milling, flow, high pressure, or light, bring not only higher yields, faster reactions, and easier product isolation, but also new reactivities. More sustainable reaction media, such as ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, green solvent alternatives, and water, also considerably enhance the sustainability profile of many organocatalytic reactions.

Catalyst-Free Deaminative Functionalizations of Primary Amines by Photoinduced Single-Electron Transfer

The use of pyridinium-activated primary amines as photoactive functional groups for deaminative generation of alkyl radicals under catalyst-free conditions is described. By taking advantage of the visible light absorptivity of electron donor-acceptor complexes between Katritzky pyridinium salts and either Hantzsch ester or Et3 N, photoinduced single-electron transfer could be initiated in the absence of a photocatalyst. This general reactivity platform has been applied to deaminative alkylation (Giese), allylation, vinylation, alkynylation, thioetherification, and hydrodeamination reactions. The mild conditions are amenable to a diverse range of primary and secondary alkyl pyridiniums and demonstrate broad functional group tolerance.

Enantiospecific Three-Component Alkylation of Furan and Indole

Furan‐ and indole‐derived boronate complexes react with alkyl iodides under radical (photoredox) or polar (S_N2) conditions to generate three‐component alkylation products with high efficiency and complete stereospecificity. The methodology allows the incorporation of versatile functional groups such as nitriles, ketones, esters, sulfones, and amides, providing rapid access to complex chiral heteroaromatic molecules in enantioenriched form. Interestingly, while indolyl boronate complexes react directly with alkyl halides in a polar pathway, furyl boronates require photoredox catalysis. Careful mechanistic analysis revealed that the boronate complex not only serves as a substrate in the reaction but also acts as a reductive quencher for the excited state of the photocatalyst.

Radical-Based C-C Bond-Forming Processes Enabled by the Photoexcitation of 4-Alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridines

We report herein that 4‐alkyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines (alkyl‐DHPs) can directly reach an electronically excited state upon light absorption and trigger the generation of C(sp³)‐centered radicals without the need for an external photocatalyst. Selective excitation with a violet‐light‐emitting diode turns alkyl‐DHPs into strong reducing agents that can activate reagents through single‐electron transfer manifolds while undergoing homolytic cleavage to generate radicals. We used this photochemical dual‐reactivity profile to trigger radical‐based carbon–carbon bond‐forming processes, including nickel‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions.

Catalytic Desymmetrization by C-H Functionalization as a Solution to the Chiral Methyl Problem

Breaking the mirror (plane): A palladium-catalyzed desymmetrization strategy via β C-H activation provides an alternate approach for solving the age-old challenge of introducing an α-methyl stereocenter to a molecule.