Highly efficient water promoted allylation and propargylation of arylepoxides via rearrangement-carbonyl addition

Allylation and propargylation of aldehydes mediated by in situ generated zinc from the redox couple of Al and ZnCl2 in 2N HCl

A simple one pot allylation and propargylation of aldehydes mediated by zinc(0), which is in situ generated from the redox couple of Al and ZnCl₂ in 2N HCl, is demonstrated to afford the corresponding homoallyl and homopropargyl alcohols with excellent yields.

Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of epoxides with organoboron compounds

A copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of epoxides with arylboronates is described. This reaction is not limited to aromatic epoxides, because aliphatic epoxides are also suitable substrates. In addition, N-sulfonyl aziridines can be successfully converted into the products. This reaction provides convenient access to β-phenethyl alcohols, which are valuable synthetic intermediates.

Synthesis of active tin: an efficient reagent for allylation reaction of carbonyl compounds

High purity Sn(0), synthesized through reduction of SnO by Na₂SnO₂, is applied for allylation of carbonyls in distilled water at room temperature.

Nickel-catalyzed regiodivergent opening of epoxides with aryl halides: co-catalysis controls regioselectivity

Epoxides are versatile intermediates in organic synthesis, but have rarely been employed in cross-coupling reactions. We report that bipyridine-ligated nickel can mediate the addition of functionalized aryl halides, a vinyl halide, and a vinyl triflate to epoxides under reducing conditions. For terminal epoxides, the regioselectivity of the reaction depends upon the cocatalyst employed. Iodide cocatalysis results in opening at the less hindered position via an iodohydrin intermediate. Titanocene cocatalysis results in opening at the more hindered position, presumably via Ti(III)-mediated radical generation. 1,2-Disubstituted epoxides are opened under both conditions to form predominantly the trans product.

Nitroalkenes as carbonyl surrogates in arylmethyl-homoallylic alcohol forming one-pot allylation reactions in water

A simple and practical approach has been developed for conducting direct, homoallylic alcohol forming allylation reactions of nitroalkenes in water. Employing the new method, various arylmethyl-homoallylic alcohols can be produced from the corresponding, readily prepared β-nitrostyrenes.

Tin mediated allylation reactions of enol ethers in water

Under tin-mediated Barbier-type reaction conditions, hydration of enol ethers takes place to form aldehydes that undergo allylation reactions. By using this process, various homoallylic alcohols and 2-halohomoallylic alcohols are produced in good to excellent yields.