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The Boekelheide rearrangement is often employed for the oxy-functionalization of alkyl groups in the 2-position of pyridines, yet the corresponding alkylation reaction has so far not been realized since 1954. N -Alkenoxypyridinium functionalization has been widely applied to synthesize various carbonyl compounds by only using the carbonyl unit. Herein, we describe a simple yet efficient alkylation of N -alkenoxypyridiniums through the Boekelheide reaction for the synthesis of β-2-pyridyl alkyl ketones.

An unprecedented N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed annulation of isatin-derived enals and o-hydroxyphenyl-substituted p-quinone methides as bifunctional reagents has been discovered. The new protocol involves a 1,6-addition of the homoenolate equivalent intermediates to the hydroxy donor-1,6-Michael acceptors and leads to spirocyclic oxindole-ε-lactones in high yields and very good stereoselectivities.

An efficient and highly stereoselective one-pot, four-component synthesis of functionalized tricyclic chromanes has been achieved through an organocatalyzed quadruple domino reaction. The reaction sequence involves an oxa-Michael/Michael/Michael/aldol condensation between alcohols, 2 equiv of acrolein, and nitrochromenes to generate the pharmaceutically important tricyclic chromanes bearing three contiguous stereogenic centers including a chiral tetrasubstituted carbon center in good domino yields (30-70%) and excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (>20:1 dr and >99% ee).

A highly stereoselective triple domino reaction for the synthesis of functionalized tricyclic chromane scaffolds has been developed. A secondary amine-catalyzed domino Michael/Michael/aldol condensation reaction between aliphatic aldehydes, nitro-chromenes, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes leads to the formation of synthetically important tricyclic chromanes bearing four contiguous stereogenic centers including a tetrasubstituted carbon in good yields (20-66%) and excellent stereoselectivities (>20:1 dr and >99% ee).

N-Heterocyclic olefins (NHOs), the alkylidene derivatives of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), have recently emerged as a new family of promising organocatalysts with strong nucleophilicity and Brønsted basicity. The development of a novel method is shown using NHOs as efficient promoters for the direct dehydrogenative silylation of alcohols or hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds. Preliminary results of the first NHO-promoted asymmetric synthesis are also discussed.

A novel method to utilize N-heterocyclic olefins (NHOs), the alkylidene derivatives of N-heterocycic carbenes, as organocatalysts to promote transesterification reactions has been developed. Because of their strong Brønsted/Lewis basicity, NHOs can enhance the nucleophilicity of alcohols for their acylation reactions with carboxylic esters. This transformation can be employed in industrially relevant processes such as the production of biodiesel, the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from plastic bottles for recycling purposes, and the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters to form biodegradable polymers such as polylactide (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL).

A low loading of a quinine-derived squaramide efficiently catalyzes the triple-domino Michael/aza-Henry/cyclization reaction between 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, β-nitroolefins, and aldimines to provide tetrahydropyridines bearing three contiguous stereogenic centers in good yields, excellent enantiomeric excesses, and up to high diastereomeric ratios.

A highly stereoselective one-pot procedure for the synthesis of five-membered annulated hydroxycoumarins has been developed. By merging primary amine catalysis with silver catalysis, a series of functionalized coumarin derivatives were obtained in good yields (up to 91%) and good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) via a Michael addition/hydroalkoxylation reaction. Depending on the substituents on the enynone, the synthesis of annulated six-membered rings is also feasible.

A diastereo- and enantioselective Michael/Henry/ketalization sequence to functionalized tetrahydropyrans is described. The multicomponent cascade reaction uses acetylacetone or β-keto esters, β-nitrostyrenes, and alkynyl aldehydes as substrates affording tetrahydropyrans with five contiguous stereocenters. Employing a bifunctional quinine-based squaramide organocatalyst, the title compounds are obtained in moderate to good yields (27-80%), excellent enantiomeric excesses (93-99% ee), and high diastereomeric ratios (dr > 20:1) after one crystallization.

A highly stereoselective one-pot procedure for the synthesis of spiropyrazolone derivatives bearing six contiguous stereogenic centers including two tetrasubstituted carbons has been developed. Under sequential catalysis by two organocatalysts, a cinchona-derived aminosquaramide and DBU, a series of diversely functionalized spiropyrazolones are obtained in good yields (47-62%) and excellent stereoselectivities (up to >25:1 dr and 98-99% ee). The opposite enantiomers of the spiropyrazolones are also accessible by employing a pseudoenantiomeric aminosquaramide catalyst.

An efficient one pot asymmetric synthesis of tetrahydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles has been developed. This class of biologically active heterocycles can be obtained via a secondary amine catalyzed asymmetric Michael/Wittig/oxa-Michael reaction sequence. Remarkably, the title compounds were accessible in good to very good yields and very good to excellent enantioselectivities after a single purification step.

[reaction: see text] A new concept of simultaneous covalent anchoring of a N-heterocyclic carbene palladium/ionic liquid matrix on the silica surface and the application of the resulting catalyst in the Heck reaction of a variety of different haloarenes is described. The catalyst shows high thermal stability (up to 280 degrees C) and could be recovered and reused for four reaction cycles, giving a total TON congruent with 36 600. Furthermore, TEM coupled with EDX analysis indicate the formation of Pd nanoparticles within the immobilized IL layer.

[structure: see text] The asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-callystatin A has been achieved. The key steps generating the stereogenic centers rely on the asymmetric alpha-alkylation of aldehydes or ketones exploiting the SAMP/RAMP hydrazone alkylation methodology, as well as an enzymatic enantioselective reduction of a 3,5-dioxocarboxylate. For the construction of the alkene moieties, highly selective Wittig or Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions were employed.

[reaction: see text]. The first asymmetric P-C bond formation under heterogeneous conditions was achieved via a Fe2O3-mediated conjugate addition of a chiral phosphite to alkylidene malonates. The easy cleavage of the chiral auxiliary from the addition products leads to optically active beta-substituted beta-phosphono malonates in good yields and high enantiomeric excesses.

[reaction: see text] beta-Amino ketones and substituted 1,3-oxazinan-2-ones have been synthesized utilizing polymer-bound and carbamate-linked alpha-alkoxycarbonylamino sulfones. Key steps in the synthesis are the immobilization of the N-acylimine precursor, the Mannich-type addition of various nucleophiles, and the diastereoselective reduction of the resin-bound ketone.

[reaction: see text] An efficient asymmetric synthesis of alpha-trifluoromethyl-substituted primary amines via nucleophilic 1,2-addition of alkyllithium reagents to trifluoroacetaldehyde SAMP- or RAMP-hydrazone followed by benzoylation and SmI(2)-promoted nitrogen-nitrogen single bond cleavage is described.

[reaction: see text]. Two novel chiral hydrazine resins for asymmetric solid-phase synthesis have been developed. The enantiopure beta-methoxyamino auxiliaries, derived from trans-4-hydroxy-(S)-proline and (R)-leucine, were attached to Merrifield resin and transformed into their corresponding hydrazines. Immobilization of various aldehydes, followed by 1,2-addition of organolithium reagents to the resulting enantiopure hydrazones and reductive cleavage from the solid support, furnished alpha-branched amines, which were isolated as their corresponding amides in good overall yields and enantiomeric excesses of up to 86%.

The ester enolate-imine condensation route to beta-lactams via an immobilized ester enolate has been achieved for the first time. The key reaction in the synthesis is the cyclization of the resin bound ester dianion and an imine. Traceless cleavage from the T1-triazene linker system yields the desired beta-lactams.