Enantioselective Addition of Cyanide to CF3-Substituted Alkylidenemalonates: Construction of Trifluoromethylated All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters

Diastereoselective Formation of Quaternary Stereocenters in Imidazole N-Oxide Cycloaddition with Fluoroalkenes

Imidazole N-oxides are attractive starting materials for the preparation of complex molecules containing an imidazole ring. Dipolar cycloaddition between 1,1-difluoroalkenes and imidazole N-oxides bearing a chiral auxiliary performed in the presence of oxygen or nitrogen nucleophiles was found to provide access to esters and amides bearing a 2-azaheteroaryl substituent at the α position of the imidazole ring as mixtures of diastereomers that, in most cases, are readily separable. This three-component reaction introduces a new tertiary or quaternary all-carbon stereocenter into the heterocyclic ring at a position originally occupied by hydrogen. Importantly, products containing a trifluoromethyl group attached to this stereocenter are readily available as well.

Copper-catalyzed three-component oxycyanation of alkenes

A copper-catalyzed radical oxycyanation of unactivated alkenes and styrenes to produce beta-cyanohydrin derivatives with the cyano group attached on the more substituted carbon center was reported.

Phase-transfer catalysis and the ion pair concept

This review outlines the recent advances in the field of asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis and the ion-pair concept including alkylation of amino acids and peptides, oxyindoles and other substrates, conjugate additions, fluorinations, photo-induced phase-transfer catalysis, Nitro-Mannich reactions, heterocyclizations and cycloadditions for the preparation of heterocycles, derivatization of isoxazoles, umpolung conjugate addition of imines and other three asymmetric reactions.