Synergistic Brønsted/Lewis Acid Catalyzed Aromatic Alkylation with Unactivated Tertiary Alcohols or Di-tert-Butylperoxide to Synthesize Quaternary Carbon Centers

Dual Brønsted/Lewis acid catalysis involving environmentally benign, readily accessible protic acid and iron promotes site-selective tert-butylation of electron-rich arenes using di-tert-butylperoxide. This transformation inspired the development of a synergistic Brønsted/Lewis acid catalyzed aromatic alkylation that fills a gap in the Friedel–Crafts reaction literature by employing unactivated tertiary alcohols as alkylating agents, leading to new quaternary carbon centers. Corroborated by DFT calculations, the Lewis acid serves a role in enhancing the acidity of the Brønsted acid. The use of non-allylic, non-benzylic, and non-propargylic tertiary alcohols represents an underexplored area in Friedel–Crafts reactivity.

Recent Advances in Catalytic Nonenzymatic Kinetic Resolution of Tertiary Alcohols

The kinetic resolution (KR) of racemates is one of the most widely used approaches to access enantiomerically pure compounds. Over the past two decades, catalytic nonenzymatic KR has gained popularity in the field of asymmetric synthesis due to the rapid development of chiral catalysts and ligands in asymmetric catalysis. Chiral tertiary alcohols are prevalent in a variety of natural products, pharmaceuticals, and biologically active chiral compounds. The catalytic nonenzymatic KR of racemic tertiary alcohols is a straightforward strategy to access enantioenriched tertiary alcohols. This short review describes recent advances in catalytic nonenzymatic KR of tertiary alcohols, including organocatalysis and metal catalysis.

Confronting the Challenging Asymmetric Addition of Vinyl Arene Pronucleophiles into Ketones: Ligand-Controlled Regiodivergent Processes Through a Dearomatized Allyl-Cu Species

The selective reductive coupling of vinyl arenes and ketones represents a versatile approach for the rapid construction of enantiomerically enriched tertiary alcohols. Herein, we demonstrate a CuH-catalyzed regiodivergent coupling of vinyl arenes and ketones, in which the selectivity is controlled by the ancillary ligand. This approach leverages an in situ generated benzyl- or dearomatized allyl-Cu intermediate, yielding either the dearomatized or exocyclic addition products, respectively. The method exhibits excellent regio-, diastereo- and enantioselectivity, and tolerates a range of common functional groups and heterocycles. Computational studies suggest that the regio- and enantioselectivity are controlled by the ancillary ligand, while the diastereoselectivity is enforced by steric interactions between the alkyl-Cu intermediate and ketone substrates in a six-membered cyclic transition state.

Confronting the Challenging Asymmetric Addition of Vinyl Arene Pronucleophiles into Ketones: Ligand-Controlled Regiodivergent Processes Through a Dearomatized Allyl-Cu Species

The selective reductive coupling of vinyl arenes and ketones represents a versatile approach for the rapid construction of enantiomerically enriched tertiary alcohols. Herein, we demonstrate a CuH-catalyzed regiodivergent coupling of vinyl arenes and ketones, in which the selectivity is controlled by the ancillary ligand. This approach leverages an in situ generated benzyl- or dearomatized allyl-Cu intermediate, yielding either the dearomatized or exocyclic addition products, respectively. The method exhibits excellent regio-, diastereo- and enantioselectivity, and tolerates a range of common functional groups and heterocycles. Computational studies suggest that the regio- and enantioselectivity are controlled by the ancillary ligand, while the diastereoselectivity is enforced by steric interactions between the alkyl-Cu intermediate and ketone substrates in a six-membered cyclic transition state.

Synthesis of Functionalised Cyclohexanes from Carbohydrates

<p>Beta-D-glucopyranose pentaacetate was photobrominated to give the 5-baromide from which 6-deoxy-Beta-D-xylo-hex-5-enopyranose tetraacetate was obtained by reductive elimination. This reaction sequence represents an efficient new route to the 5-ene. A detailed investigation into the photobromination of Beta-D-glucopyranose pentaacetate with bromine and with NBS led to the isolation of several by-products containing bromine substituents at C-1 and/or C-5; their reactions with zinc-acetic acid were studied, and the conformations. in solution of four alkenes derived from the 5-bromo compound were determined. 2,3,4-Triacylated 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxycyclohexanones were Obtained by mercury (II) catalysed rearrangement of 5-deoxyhex-5-enopyranose esters. The mechanism of this rearrangement, and some enopyranose esters The mechanism of this rearrangement, reactions of the products were examined. The use of these new carbocyclic compounds in the synthesis of branched-chain cyclitol derivatives was explored. By means of diazomethane or, alternatively, hydrogen cyanide, substituted cyclohexanes with one-carbon branches and tertiary hydroxyl groups at the site of chain-branching were preared. Attempts to eliminate water from these tertiary alcohols to give substituted cyclohexene-carbonitriles or -carbaldehydes were unsuccessful.</p>

Synthesis of Functionalised Cyclohexanes from Carbohydrates

<p>Beta-D-glucopyranose pentaacetate was photobrominated to give the 5-baromide from which 6-deoxy-Beta-D-xylo-hex-5-enopyranose tetraacetate was obtained by reductive elimination. This reaction sequence represents an efficient new route to the 5-ene. A detailed investigation into the photobromination of Beta-D-glucopyranose pentaacetate with bromine and with NBS led to the isolation of several by-products containing bromine substituents at C-1 and/or C-5; their reactions with zinc-acetic acid were studied, and the conformations. in solution of four alkenes derived from the 5-bromo compound were determined. 2,3,4-Triacylated 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxycyclohexanones were Obtained by mercury (II) catalysed rearrangement of 5-deoxyhex-5-enopyranose esters. The mechanism of this rearrangement, and some enopyranose esters The mechanism of this rearrangement, reactions of the products were examined. The use of these new carbocyclic compounds in the synthesis of branched-chain cyclitol derivatives was explored. By means of diazomethane or, alternatively, hydrogen cyanide, substituted cyclohexanes with one-carbon branches and tertiary hydroxyl groups at the site of chain-branching were preared. Attempts to eliminate water from these tertiary alcohols to give substituted cyclohexene-carbonitriles or -carbaldehydes were unsuccessful.</p>

Selective deoxygenative alkylation of alcohols via photocatalytic domino radical fragmentations

The delivery of alkyl radicals through photocatalytic deoxygenation of primary alcohols under mild conditions is a so far unmet challenge. In this report, we present a one-pot strategy for deoxygenative Giese reaction of alcohols with electron-deficient alkenes, by using xanthate salts as alcohol-activating groups for radical generation under visible-light photoredox conditions in the presence of triphenylphosphine. The convenient generation of xanthate salts and high reactivity of sequential C–S/C–O bond homolytic cleavage enable efficient deoxygenation of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols with diverse functionality and structure to generate the corresponding alkyl radicals, including methyl radical. Moreover, chemoselective radical monodeoxygenation of diols is achieved via selective formation of xanthate salts.