A concise Diels-Alder strategy leading to congeners of the ABC ring system of the marine alkaloid 'upenamide

α-Halocarbonyls as a Valuable Functionalized Tertiary Alkyl Source

This review introduces the synthetic organic chemical value of α-bromocarbonyl compounds with tertiary carbons. This α-bromocarbonyl compound with a tertiary carbon has been used primarily only as a radical initiator in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) reactions. However, with the recent development of photo-radical reactions (around 2010), research on the use of α-bromocarbonyl compounds as tertiary alkyl radical precursors became popular (around 2012). As more examples were reported, α-bromocarbonyl compounds were studied not only as radicals but also for their applications in organometallic and ionic reactions. That is, α-bromocarbonyl compounds act as nucleophiles as well as electrophiles. The carbonyl group of α-bromocarbonyl compounds is also attractive because it allows the skeleton to be converted after the reaction, and it is being applied to total synthesis. In our survey until 2022, α-bromocarbonyl compounds can be used to perform a full range of reactions necessary for organic synthesis, including multi-component reactions, cross-coupling, substitution, cyclization, rearrangement, stereospecific reactions, asymmetric reactions. α-Bromocarbonyl compounds have created a new trend in tertiary alkylation, which until then had limited reaction patterns in organic synthesis. This review focuses on how α-bromocarbonyl compounds can be used in synthetic organic chemistry.

Preparation and Application of α-Imino Ketones through One-Pot Tandem Reactions Based on Heyns Rearrangement

α-Imino ketone is a useful building block for the preparation of α-amino ketones and α-amino alcohols. However, its preparation has been seldomly seen. Herein, a metal-free and operationally simple strategy has been developed to generate α-imino ketones with high regioselectivity. Meanwhile, the method allowed for the preparation of various N,O-ketals with high regioselectivities and diastereoselectivities through cascade reactions in one pot.

Construction of bridged cyclic N,O-ketal spirooxindoles through a Michael addition/N,O-ketalization sequence

The first highly diastereoselective TfOH-catalyzed Michael addition/N,O-ketalization sequence of 3-aminooxindoles and ortho-hydroxychalcones was achieved to afford a wide range of bridged cyclic N,O-ketal spirooxindoles in 41–97% yields.