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An efficient palladium-catalyzed AAA reaction with a simple α-sulfonyl carbon anion as nucleophiles is presented for the first time. Allyl fluorides are used as superior precursors for the generation of π-allyl complexes that upon ionization liberate fluoride anions for activation of silylated nucleophiles. With the unique bidentate diamidophosphite ligand ligated palladium as catalyst, the in situ generated α-sulfonyl carbon anion was quickly captured by the allylic intermediates, affording a series of chiral homo-allylic sulfones with high efficiency and selectivity. This work provides a mild in situ desilylation strategy to reveal nucleophilic carbon centers that could be used to overcome the pKa limitation of “hard” nucleophiles in enantioselective transformations., A variety of “hard” α-sulfonyl carbanions of aryl, heteroaryl and alkyl sulfones were successfully employed as nucleophiles in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation with excellent enantioselectivities.

A novel palladium-mediated carbonylogous 1,4-dipole was developed by in situ deprotonation. By using our own-developed C2-unsymmetric phosphoramidite as supporting ligand, this dipole was applied to the asymmetric synthesis of chiral cyclohexanones via a catalytic [4+2] cycloaddition. Electron-deficient allylic carbonate was used to generate the highly reactive palladium-mediated dipoles for the first time, and a diverse array of stable dipole precursors was explored for the elaboration of chiral cyclohexanones. A general mechanism for the reaction process and stereochemical outcome was proposed, which can be useful in designing and predicting future transformation.

The enantioselective Mannich reaction of 2H-azirines with alkynyl ketones is achieved under Zn-ProPhenol catalysis, delivering various aziridines with vicinal tetrasubstituted stereocenters in high...

The efficient and selective synthesis of functionalized seven-membered rings remains an important pursuit within synthetic organic chemistry, as this motif appears in numerous drug-like molecules and natural products. Use of cycloaddition reactions remains an attractive approach for their construction within the perspective of atom and step economy. Additionally, the ability to combine multiple components in a single reaction has the potential to allow for efficient combinatorial strategies of diversity-oriented synthesis. The inherent entropic penalty associated with achieving these transformations has impressively been overcome with development of catalysis, whereby the reaction components can be pre-organized through activation by transition-metal-catalysis. The fine-tuning of metal/ligand combinations as well as reaction conditions allows for achieving chemo-, regio-, diastereo- and enantioselectivity in these transformations. Herein, we discuss recent advances in transition-metal-catalyzed construction of seven-membered rings via combination of 2-4 components mediated by a variety of metals. An emphasis is placed on the mechanistic aspects of these transformations to both illustrate the state of the science and to highlight the unique application of novel processes of transition-metals in these transformations.

Design and exploration of new intermediates for chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective cycloadditions remain a formidable challenge in modern organic synthesis. Compared to the well-developed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, Pd-catalyzed1,4-dipolar cycloadditions are generally limited to specialized substrates due to the inherent nature of the thermodynamically driven intramolecular transformations and undesired isomerizations. Herein, we demonstrate the use of ligated palladium catalysts to control and modulate the intermolecular reactivity of aliphatic 1,4-dipoles, enabling two distinctive cycloaddition pathways with a broad scope of acceptors. This atom-economic process also features an eco-friendly in situ deprotonation strategy to generate the corresponding active palladium-mediated dipoles. Overall, a diverse array of chiral 6-membered rings and spiro [2.4] heptanes were prepared in high yield and selectivity. In addition, an unexpected property of cyano-stabilized carbanions was discovered and investigated, which can be useful in designing and predicting future transformations.

Quaternary carbon stereocenters are ubiquitous in a wide variety of organic compounds and drug molecules. Highly enantioselective construction of such quaternary carbon centers poses a singular cha...

Polyketide natural products are an important class of biologically active compounds. Although substantial progress has been made on the synthesis of repetitive polyketide motifs through the iterative application of a single reaction type, synthetic access to more diverse motifs that require more than one type of carbon-carbon bond connection remains a challenge. Here we describe a catalytic, multicomponent method for the synthesis of the privileged polyketide 1,3-dienyl-6-oxy motif. The method allows for the formation of two new carbon-carbon bonds and two stereodefined olefins. It generates products that contain up to three contiguous sp3 stereocentres with a high stereoselectivity in a single operation and can be used to generate chiral products. The successful development of this methodology relies on the remarkable efficiency of the ruthenium-catalysed alkene-alkyne coupling reaction between readily available vinyl boronic acids and alkynes to provide unsymmetrical 3-boryl-1,4-diene reagents. In the presence of carbonyl compounds, these reagents undergo highly diastereoselective allylations to afford the desired 1,3-dienyl-6-oxy motif and enable complex polyketide synthesis in a rapid and asymmetric fashion.

Nature's synthetic plans to construct molecules have been developed over millions of years of evolution and frequently prove to be among the most sophisticated. Mimicking nature's route can be a direct and feasible way for synthetic organic chemists to construct complicated molecules. However, lacking nature's ability to manipulate enzymes often prevents us from reproducing the same route. Modifying nature's approaches can provide a simpler synthetic alternative to access complex structural target molecules. Here we report a strategy that simplifies the synthesis of terpenes by inverting the order of nature's two-phase biosynthesis route. We first unite simple molecules into a polyfunctionalized linear polyenyne, with all the desired carbons and oxygens in the targeted places. This compound then undergoes polyenyne cycloisomerization, in the presence of all the functional groups, to give polyoxidized terpenes. The key reaction is a palladium-catalysed polyenyne cycloisomerization that not only tolerates the presence of all of the oxygen functionalities, but also is facilitated by them.

Enantioselective incorporation of trifluoromethyl (-CF3) and trifuoromethylthio (-SCF3) groups in small molecules is of high interest to modulate the potency and pharmacological properties of drug candidates. Herein, we report a Zn-ProPhenol catalyzed diastereo- and enantioselective Mannich addition of α-trifluoromethyl- and α-trifuoromethylthio-substituted ketones. This transformation uses cyclic and acyclic ketones and generates quaternary trifluoromethyl and tetrasubstituted trifuoromethylthio stereogenic centers in excellent yields and selectivities.

Herein we present a Zn-ProPhenol-catalyzed double Mannich reaction between ynones and imines that generates 1,3-diamines in excellent yield as well as diastereo- and enantioselectivity (>99.5% ee). With 2.2 equiv of a single imine electrophile, we obtain pseudo-symmetrical diamines whereas, with two different imine partners, we obtain unsymmetrically substituted 1,3-diamines with three contiguous stereocenters. In addition, we showcase the utility of these double Mannich adducts by transforming the 1,3-diamine motif into a variety of interesting products.

The palladium-catalyzed unified approach using in situ-generated Phospha-TMM species to synthesize a diverse array of chiral organophosphorus containing carbo- and heterocyclic compounds in a highly regio-, diastereo- (>20:1 dr), and enantioselective (>99% ee) fashion is being disclosed. The present protocol reveals the potential of the deprotonative phospha-TMM strategy for the synthesis of challenging five-membered carbo- and heterocycles, especially those with spirocyclic entities and quaternary asymmetric stereocenters. The choice of the robust chiral diamidophosphite ligand proved to be very crucial for the desired reactivity in the present transformation. Furthermore, the synthetic utility of the products is demonstrated by multiple transformations such as reductions, oxidations, and alkylations.

The development of the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of in situ generated boron enolates via tandem 1,4-hydroboration is reported. Investigation of the reaction revealed insights into specific catalyst electronic features as well as a profound leaving group effect that proved crucial for achieving efficient allylic alkylation of ester enolates at room temperature and ultimately a highly preparatively useful synthesis of notoriously challenging acyclic all-carbon quaternary stereocenters. The method demonstrates boron enolates as viable pro-nucleophiles in transition-metal catalyzed allylic alkylation, potentially opening up further transformations outside their traditional use., A palladium-catalyzed allylation of ester-derived boron enolates, which is prepared through 1,4-reduction of α,β-unsaturated ester analogues.

A novel Pd0 -catalyzed asymmetric [4+3] annulation reaction of two readily accessible starting materials has been developed for building seven-membered heterocyclic architectures. The potential [3+2] side pathway could be suppressed though fine tuning of the conditions. A broad scope of cycloaddition donors and acceptors participated in the transformation with excellent chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivtities, leading to valuable tetrahydroazepines and benzo[b]oxepines.

The ProPhenol ligand is a member of the chiral aza-crown family that spontaneously forms a bimetallic complex upon treatment with alkyl metal reagents, such as Et2 Zn and Bu2 Mg. The resulting complex features Lewis acidic and Bronsted basic sites, enabling simultaneous activation of both nucleophile and electrophile in the same chiral environment. Since the initial report in 2000, metal-ProPhenol catalysts have been used to facilitate a broad range of asymmetric transformations, including aldol, Mannich, and Henry reactions, as well as alkynylations and conjugation additions. By promoting such a diverse array of reactions, these complexes provide rapid and atom-economical access to valuable complex building blocks. In this Review, we describe in detail the development and synthetic applications of these versatile catalysts with a special focus on recent efforts to improve reactivity and selectivity through ligand design and structural modification.

Chiral α-tertiary amines can be accessed directly through the electrophilic amination of α-branched ketones utilizing di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate as the electrophilic nitrogen source. This proce...

A new bifunctional ligand bearing chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and prolinol moieties is presented. Utilizing the designed ligand, an in situ formed Cu/Zn hetero-bimetallic complex unlocks the asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions of allyl phosphates with zinc keto-homoenolates, leading to the formation of various γ-vinyl ketones with good regio- and enantio-selectivity. DF sT calculation supports that the chelation of allyl phosphates with catalyst promotes the S

The first total synthesis of the trimethyl ester of kadcoccinic acid A is described. The central structural element of our synthesis is a cyclopentenone motif that allows the assembly of the natural product skeleton. A gold(I)-catalyzed cyclization of an enynyl acetate led to efficient construction of the cyclopentenone scaffold. In this step, optimization studies revealed that the stereochemistry of the enynyl acetate dictates regioisomeric cyclopentenone formation. The synthesis further highlights an efficient copper-mediated conjugate addition, merged with a gold(I)-catalyzed Conia-ene reaction to connect the two fragments, thereby forging the D-ring of the natural product. The synthetic strategy reported herein can provide a general platform to access the skeleton of other members of this family of natural products.

The synthesis of the pentacylic core of (+)-citrinadin A is described. Our strategy harnesses the power of palladium-catalyzed trimethylenemethane chemistry (Pd-TMM) to form the key spirooxindole motif in a catalytic, asymmetric fashion. Upon the conversion of this spirooxindole to a vinyl epoxide electrophile, the piperidine ring is directly added via a diastereoselective metalation followed by an SN2' addition. The final ring of the pentacyclic core is then formed through an intramolecular SN2 displacement of the resulting activated alcohol.

A general method for asymmetric synthesis of heteroaryl-containing cycles via palladium-catalyzed cyclization is reported. Most classes of nitrogen-containing aromatics, including pyridines, quinolines, pyrimidines, various azoles and the derivatives of nucleobases are compatible substrates, offering various heteroaryl-substituted cyclopentane, pyrrolidine, furanidine and bicyclo[4.3.1]decadiene derivatives with good to excellent enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity.

The synthesis of P-chiral compounds is challenging, especially since useful catalytic methods for preparing such molecules are scarce. Herein we disclose a desymmetrization that employs phosphinic ...

We describe the development of a Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative asymmetric allylic alkylation of α-nitro allyl esters to afford acyclic tetrasubstituted nitroalkanes. Optimization of the reaction parameters revealed unique ligand and solvent combinations crucial for achieving chemo- and enantioselective C-alkylation of electronically challenging benzylic nitronates and sterically encumbered 2-allyl esters. Substrates were efficiently accessed in a combinatorial fashion by a cross-Claisen/ α-arylation sequence. The method provides functional group orthogonality that complements nucleophilic imine allylation strategies for α-tertiary amine synthesis.

The first palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic trifluoromethylation is disclosed. The methodology evokes a fundamental principle by which the synergistic interplay of a leaving group and its subsequent activation of the nucleophilic trifluoromethyl group enabled the reaction. Allyl fluorides have been shown to be superior precursors for generation of π-allyl complexes, which lead to trifluoromethylated products with high selectivities and functional group tolerance. This study highlights the unique role of a bidentate diamidophosphite ligand class in palladium-catalyzed reactions that allow a challenging transformation to proceed.

A palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative asymmetric allylic alkylation (Pd-DAAA) of benzo-fused and non-benzo-fused δ-valerolactams is disclosed. This methodology gives access to chiral lactams bearing C3-quaternary stereocenters, which are central to many natural products and biologically active compounds. The reaction proceeds via palladium-catalyzed ionization of an allyl ester, followed by carbon dioxide extrusion and recombination of the electrophilic Pd-π-allyl complex with the in situ generated lactam enolate. This final step converts racemic allylic ester starting materials into enantiomerically enriched substituted lactams with high yield and enantiomeric excess.

A vanadium-catalyzed coupling of allenylic alcohols with electrophilic halide sources to form α-halo-α',β'-unsaturated ketones is described. The process proceeds through a metal enolate formed from the 1,3-transposition of an allenol that is initiated by a cheap and earth-abundant vanadium oxo catalyst. Fluorine, chlorine, and bromine electrophiles can be utilized, and the resulting products can give rise to the introduction of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and iodine nucleophiles α to the ketone through substitution chemistry.

Introduction of unsaturation adjacent to the carbonyl drastically improves the reactivity of the Zn-ProPhenol catalyzed Mannich reactions between N-carbamoyl imines and a-branched ketones. Despite only a small change in the substrate acidity, the bimetallic catalyst can preferentially recognize and activate unsaturated ketones over their fully saturated counterparts, providing a chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselective route to valuable β-aminoketones bearing both cyclic and acyclic quaternary stereocenters, which are common motifs in numerous biologically active alkaloids. Unsaturated ketones and imines with various substitution patterns are viable substrates, and the reaction can be performed on multi-millimole scale at low catalyst loading without impacting its efficiency. More importantly, the unsaturation introduced via the nucleophile provides a useful platform for structural diversification.

A highly selective formation of geometrically defined acyclic tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes from inexpensive and readily available propargyl alcohols is described. Through vanadium oxo catalysis, tri- and tetrasubstituted α-chloro-, bromo-, and iodo-enone olefins can be synthesized with the kinetic E-geometry. Complementary tetrasubstituted β-chloro-, bromo-, and iodo-enone olefins with Z-geometry can be accessed through a metal-free 1,2-aryl shift. The utility of these geometrically defined vinyl halides is demonstrated through cross-coupling reactions to form all-carbon tetrasubstituted olefins with near complete retention of starting olefin geometry as well as through the total synthesis of (±)-myodesmone.

Over the past 20 years, the asymmetric synthesis of acyclic tetrasubstituted stereocenters by Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (Pd-AAA) strategies has seen considerable growth. Despite the inherent difficulty in accessing acyclic tetrasubstituted stereocenters, creative approaches toward this problem have resulted in high stereoinduction on both electrophilic and nucleophilic reaction partners. Much of this chemistry has paved the way for unique solutions in Mo-, Ir-, and Rh-AAA, with many complimentary methods arising due to the unique regiochemical outcomes of AAA outside of Pd catalysis.1 Introduction2 Stereocontrol on Prochiral Electrophiles3 Stereocontrol on Prochiral Nucleophiles4 Temporary Cyclic Pronucleophiles5 Allylic Alkylation with Other Metals6 Conclusions and Outlook

The palladium-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition using in situ generated sulfone-TMM species to construct various chiral cyclopentyl sulfones in a highly regio-, diastereo- (dr >15:1), and enantiosele...

A highly regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective trimethylenemethane (TMM) cycloaddition reaction for the rapid assembly of 2-acyl-methylenecyclopentane in an atom-economic fashion is described. This intermolecular protocol allows for facile and divergent access to an array of structurally attractive cyclic adducts. The choice of a robust chiral diamidophosphite ligand, developed by our group, proved to be crucial for the success of this transformation.

A novel Pd0 -catalyzed highly regio- and enantioselective [3+2] spiroannulation reaction has been developed for rapid assembly of a new class of [5,5] spirocyclic carbo- and heterocycles. Notably, the regioselectivity could be dominated by fine-tuning of the Pd-π-allyl intermediate. An array of coupling partners could be well-tolerated with excellent regio-, and enantioselectivities. Moreover, the potential application of this reaction was exemplified by several further transformations.

Enolate chemistry is one of the most fundamental strategies for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Classically, this has been accomplished through the use of stoichiometric quantities of strong base and cryogenic reaction temperatures. However, these techniques present issues related to enolate regioselectivity and functional group tolerance. While more modern methods utilizing stoichiometric activating agents have overcome some of these limitations, these processes add additional steps and suffer from poor atom economy. While certain classes of highly acidic nucleophiles have enabled the development of elegant and general catalytic solutions to address all of these limitations, functionalizing less acidic nucleophiles remains difficult.To overcome these challenges, we developed an alternative general approach for the formation and subsequent functionalization of metal enolates that leverages catalytic amounts of Lewis acid and entirely avoids the need for exogenous base or stoichiometric additives. To do so, we re-engineered the classical Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, which normally converts propargylic alcohols into α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. By careful control of reaction conditions and by selection of an appropriate vanadium-oxo catalyst, the transient metal enolates formed via the 1,3-transposition of propargylic or allenylic alcohols can be guided away from simple protonation reaction pathways and toward more synthetically productive carbon-carbon, carbon-halogen, and carbon-nitrogen bond-forming processes.By utilizing readily available propargylic and allenylic alcohols as our starting materials and relying on a catalytic 1,3-transposition to generate metal enolates

The catalytic asymmetric synthesis of complex molecules has been the focus of our research program for several decades because such strategies have significant utility for the construction of chiral building blocks for drug development as well as the total synthesis of natural products. Cycloaddition reactions are very powerful transformations in organic synthesis providing access to highly functionalized motifs from simple starting materials. In concert with this central interest, four decades ago, we reported the palladium-catalyzed trimethylenemethane (TMM) cycloaddition for forging odd-membered ring systems. In recent years, we focused our attention on the development of powerful ligand scaffolds which enable the preparation of valuable products with complete control of chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity, thereby addressing several limitations in the field of palladium-catalyzed asymmetric cycloadditions. The first section of this Account will outline the discovery of a new class of highly modular pyrrolidine-based phosphoramidite and diamidophosphite chiral ligands which facilitate [3 + 2] cycloadditions of TMM donors, opening a new area in asymmetric construction of five-membered rings.The formation of the Pd-TMM zwitterionic intermediates is driven by the unique charge distribution of the cationic π-allyl motif, in which the most electropositive central carbon stabilizes the neighboring carbanion generated by either desilylation or deprotonation. The second section of this Account summarizes the scope of cycloadditions between Pd-TMM zwitterionic intermediates generated via desilylation and a variety of electron-deficient acceptors to access cyclopentanes, pyrrolidines and tetrahydrofurans. This section also includes the use of nitrile-, vinyl-, alkynyl- and allene-substituted TMM donors to rapidly generate cycloadducts with high molecular complexity. The extension of this strategy to include [6 + 3] cycloadditions and dearomative processes will also be presented. The third section will discuss a new generation of TMM donors substituted with electron-withdrawing groups such as nitrile, benzophenone imine, trifluoromethyl, and phosphonate, where the Pd-TMM zwitterionic intermediates are generated via deprotonation of the acidic C-H bond adjacent to the π-allyl motif. This new strategy has enabled the synthesis of heterocycles with increased numbers of functional groups in highly asymmetric and atom-economic fashion.Throughout this Account, we will describe the implementation of these transformations toward the rapid assembly of drug candidates and the total synthesis of natural products such as (-)-marcfortine C. We will also give details of mechanistic studies regarding relevant intermediates within the catalytic cycles of the different strategies, which allowed us to better understand the origin of selectivity with various donors.

The ruthenium catalytic addition of alkenes to alkynes has been demonstrated as a powerful synthetic tool to form diene motifs and widely applied in the synthesis of complex molecules. However, except for the intramolecular coupling, trisubstituted alkenes are unsatisfactory coupling partners with alkynes, presumably due to the increased steric hindrance. Herein, we discovered that substituted vinyl 1,2-bisboronate derivatives can serve as the trisubstituted alkene equivalents to couple with alkynes, generating various boryl-substituted homoallylic alcohol motifs with good stereoselectivity through the sequential allylboration with aldehydes. In contrast to carbon substituents on the double bond, boron substituents accelerate the alkyne coupling.

A new ruthenium-based catalytic system for branched-selective asymmetric allylic alkylation is disclosed and applied to the synthesis of chiral isatin derivatives. The catalyst, which is generated in situ from commercially available CpRu(MeCN)3PF6 and a BINOL-derived phosphoramidite, is both highly active (TON up to 180) and insensitive to air and moisture. Additionally, the N-alkylated isatins accessible using this methodology are versatile building blocks that are readily transformed into chiral analogs of achiral drug molecules.

Stitching alkynes into bryostatin 3 The bryostatin family of marine natural products has been explored for a wide variety of pharmaceutical applications but remains challenging to source. The general structure comprises a macrocycle that contains three smaller, six-membered rings. Bryostatin 3 is distinguished by the added complexity of a fourth, fused lactone ring. Trost et al. report a convergent synthesis of this complex molecule, taking advantage of alkyne coupling reactions to stitch together three main fragments and asymmetric dihydroxylation and propargylation reactions to set stereochemistry. Science , this issue p. 1007

A protocol for the asymmetric synthesis of highly substituted chiral allenes with control of point and axial chirality has been developed. A palladium-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition using readily available racemic allenes gives access to densely functionalized chiral allenes with excellent yields and functional group tolerance. The catalytic asymmetric protocol utilizes a broad range of allenyl TMM (trimethylenemethane) donors to form cyclopentanes, pyrrolidines, and spirocycles with very good control of regio-, enantio-, and diastereoselectivity. The chiral allene moiety is shown to be a valuable functional group for rapid elaboration towards complex targets.

Polyketide natural products are an important class of biologically active compounds. Although substantial progress has been made on the synthesis of repetitive polyketide motifs through the iterative application of a single reaction type, synthetic access to more diverse motifs that require more than one type of carbon-carbon bond connection remains a challenge. Here we describe a catalytic, multicomponent method for the synthesis of the privileged polyketide 1,3-dienyl-6-oxy motif. The method allows for the formation of two new carbon-carbon bonds and two stereodefined olefins. It generates products that contain up to three contiguous sp

The first realization of the amino-trimethylenemethane chemistry is reported using a deprotonation strategy to simplify the synthesis of the amino-trimethylenemethane donor in two steps from commercial and inexpensive materials. A broad scope of cycloaddition acceptors (seven different classes) participated in the chemistry, chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectively generating various types of highly valuable complex amino cycles. Multiple derivatization reactions that further elaborated the initial amino cycles were performed without isolation of the crude product. Ultimately, we applied the amino-trimethylenemethane chemistry to synthesize a potential pharmaceutical in 8 linear steps and 7.5 % overall yield, which previously was achieved in 18 linear steps and 0.6 % overall yield.

The use of β-nitroenamines as a new class of acceptors in the enantioselective Pd-catalyzed trimethylenemethane cycloaddition afforded differentiated 1,2-dinitrogen bearing cyclopentanes with three contiguous stereocenters. The utility of these acceptors was demonstrated with the efficient construction of the core of jogyamycin and aminocyclopentitols. Further elaboration of the cycloadducts provided a concise synthetic approach toward joygamycin.

The atom-economic conversion of chemical feedstocks into biologically relevant complex molecules in a stereocontrolled fashion remains a continuous challenge to synthetic chemists. In this context, the use of simple ambiphilic starting materials as linchpins allows a bidirectional increase of molecular complexity from widely available precursors. Here, we report the use of branched aldehydes as versatile linchpins for various Zn-ProPhenol-catalysed C–C bond-forming reactions to efficiently construct enantioenriched 1,3-aminoalcohols bearing an acyclic quaternary stereogenic centre. The ability of the Zn-ProPhenol catalyst to selectively activate ambiphilic aldehydes first as nucleophiles for Mannich reactions and then as electrophiles for aldol, Henry and alkyne addition reactions allows for the one-pot synthesis of complex stereotriads from common building blocks. Moreover, this approach can be diastereodivergent by simply selecting the proper catalyst combination. Overall, this catalytic method directly transforms simple and readily available aldehydes into highly functionalized compounds and provides streamlined access to valuable 1,3-aminoalcohols relevant to the synthesis of biologically important molecules. Organic synthesis relies on the ability to convert simple starting materials into compounds with greater molecular complexity. Here, Trost and co-workers use branched aldehydes as nucleophiles for asymmetric Mannich reactions, and the products of these reactions as electrophiles for the addition of a range of carbon nucleophiles. This provides a simple, stereodivergent route to 1,3-aminoalcohols.

A valuable umpolung strategy that highlights the ambiphilic nature of the bis(phenylsulfonyl)methyl synthon and demonstrates its utility as a synthetic linchpin is reported. Although the bis(phenylsulfonyl)methyl group is typically introduced as an sp3 -carbon nucleophile, it is demonstrated that it can also function as an effective sp2 -carbon electrophile in the presence of organolithium nucleophiles. Alkyl- and aryllithiums couple with the central carbon of the bis(phenylsulfonyl)methyl unit to ultimately generate trisubstituted alkenes, comprising formal sp3 -sp2 and sp2 -sp2 cross-couplings between organolithium reagents and bis(sulfones). This process occurs almost instantaneously at -78 °C in the absence of any transition metals. By developing this curious transformation, it has been demonstrated that bis(phenylsulfonyl)methane is a valuable synthetic linchpin, which can undergo two C-C bond-forming processes as an sp3 -nucleophile, followed by a third C-C bond-forming reaction as an effective sp2 -electrophile. This discovery significantly enhances the utility of this ubiquitous, but underutilized, linker group.

Herein, we report a Zn-ProPhenol catalyzed direct asymmetric amination reaction of unactivated aryl and vinyl ketones using di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate as a cheap and practical electrophilic nitrogen source. Importantly, this methodology works with both α-branched and unbranched ketones for the construction of tri- and tetrasubstituted N-containing stereocenters. The reaction can be run at gram-scale with low catalyst loadings and features a recoverable and reusable ligand. Finally, the enantioenriched hydrazine products can be readily converted into versatile building blocks such as α-amino carbonyl compounds and β-amino alcohols.

A personal perspective of one aspect of what needs to be done to fulfill the scientific objective of improving the world in which we live is presented. One specific goal of this journey is to enable the best design of molecular structure for function regardless of complexity. Meeting this objective requires improvements in the fundamental tools of constructing synthetic reactions. What is presented is just one part of our journey which started with a fundamental question; do the unique features of alkyne building blocks provide an unusual opportunity to achieve the noted objectives? The story begins with the discovery of new synthetic tools and concludes with numerous illustrations of the broad potential these tools appear to possess.