Creation of quaternary stereocenters in carbonyl allylation reactions.

Despite the advances in stereoselective carbonyl allylation reactions, the creation of quaternary stereocenters in the addition of 3,3'-disubstituted allylmetals to aldehydes is still a challenging issue. This feature article describes the most powerful approaches that have been devised to address this problem.

Regio- and stereoselective copper-catalyzed carbozincation reactions of alkynyl sulfoximines and sulfones.

[structure: see text]. Stereochemically pure polysubstituted vinyl sulfoximines and sulfones are easily prepared by a copper-catalyzed syn carbozincation reaction of the corresponding alkynyl derivatives.

New multicomponent approach for the creation of chiral quaternary centers in the carbonyl allylation reactions.

The combined regio- and stereo-controlled carbometalation reaction of alkynyl sulfoxide followed by a zinc homologation and finally an allylation reaction led, in a single-pot operation, to chiral homoallylic alcohols in excellent yields and diastereoselectivities for the creation of chiral quaternary and tertiary centers. The key features in all of the reactions that are described in this article are the high degree of stereocontrol, the level of predictability, and "the ease of execution" which ensures success in the application of such methods. The chiral sulfinyl moiety can be finally removed by simple treatment with alkyllithiums, which allows further functionalizations of the carbon skeleton.

Stereoselective functionalization of cyclopropane derivatives using bromine/magnesium and sulfoxide/magnesium exchange reactions.

The reaction of 2,2-dibromo-1-methyl-cyclopropanecarbonitrile (1) with i-PrMgCl in Et(2)O/CH(2)Cl(2) provides the cis-magnesium-carbenoid (2), which reacts with high retention of configuration with various electrophiles. If E = SPh, a stereoselective generation of a quaternary center via a sequential Br/Mg- and sulfoxide/Mg-exchange can be achieved. [reaction: see text]

Antibody-catalyzed benzoin oxidation as a mechanistic probe for nucleophilic catalysis by an active site lysine.

Aldolase antibody 24H6, which was obtained by reactive immunization against a 1,3-diketone hapten, is shown to catalyze additional reactions, including H/D exchange and oxidation reactions. Comparison of the H/D exchange reaction at the alpha-position of a wide range of aldehydes and ketones by 24H6 and by other aldolase antibodies, such as 38C2, pointed at the significantly larger size of the 24H6 active site. This property allowed for the catalysis of the oxidation of substituted benzoins to benzils by potassium ferricyanide.

Four-component reactions for a new diastereoselective synthesis of chiral quaternary centers.

The one-pot preparation of chiral homoallylic alcohol and amine derivatives was easily achieved by carbocupration of alkynyl sulfoxides followed by an in situ zinc homologation and reaction with aldehydes or imines. In this process, three new carbon-carbon bonds were created as well as quaternary and tertiary chiral centers with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities.