A Convergent Radical-Based Route to Biaryls

Radical-mediated rearrangements: past, present, and future

Rearrangement reactions, one of the most significant transformations in organic chemistry, play an irreplaceable role in improving synthetic efficiency and molecular complexity. Concomitant cleavage and reconstruction of chemical bonds can display the great artistry and the glamour of synthetic chemistry. Over the past century, ionic rearrangement reactions, in particular those involving cationic pathways, have represented most of the research. Alongside the renaissance of radical chemistry, radical-mediated rearrangements have recently seen a rapid increase of attention from the chemical community. Many new radical rearrangements that extensively reveal the migratory behaviour of functional groups have been unveiled in the last decade. This Review provides a comprehensive perspective on the area from the past to present achievements, and brings up the prospects that may inspire colleagues to develop more useful synthetic tools based on radical rearrangements.

Nitroepoxide ring opening with thionucleophiles in water: synthesis of α-xanthyl ketones, β-keto sulfones and β-keto sulfonic acids

Nitroepoxide ring opening with thionucleophiles such as potassium xanthates, sodium aryl sulfinates and sodium bisulfite in water is investigated to provide the corresponding α-xanthyl-α-aryl-2-propanones, β-keto sulfones and β-keto sulfonic acids.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral 1,2-Amino Alcohols and Morpholin-2-ones from Arylglyoxals

Chiral 1,2-amino alcohols are privileged scaffolds with important applications as drug candidates and chiral ligands. Although various methods for the preparation of this structural motif have been reported, these methods are limited because of the use of precious metals and ligands. Here, we report a practical and high yielding synthesis of chiral 1,2-amino alcohols using arylglyoxals and pseudoephedrine auxiliary. This reaction is catalyzed by a Brønsted acid and provides morpholinone products in high yields and selectivities. The morpholine ring was converted into 1,2-amino alcohols in a two-step protocol.

Radical aryl migration reactions and synthetic applications

This review provides a comprehensive summary of radical aryl migration reactions, highlighting their mechanistic studies and synthetic applications.