Mechanistic Studies on the Generation and Properties of Superelectrophilic Singlet Carbenes from Bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)bromonium Ylides.

Pyrolysis of bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)bromonium ylides in various olefins results in highly stereospecific formation of cyclopropanes via unimolecular decomposition. Product analysis, kinetic study, substituent effects, and theoretical study revealed the generation of singlet bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)carbenes stabilized by intramolecular coordination of sulfonyl oxygen.

Development of an azanoradamantane-type nitroxyl radical catalyst for class-selective oxidation of alcohols.

The development of 1,5-dimethyl-9-azanoradamantane N-oxyl (DMN-AZADO; 1,5-dimethyl-Nor-AZADO, 2) as an efficient catalyst for the selective oxidation of primary alcohols in the presence of secondary alcohols is described. The compact and rigid structure of the azanoradamantane nucleus confers potent catalytic ability to DMN-AZADO (2). A variety of hindered primary alcohols such as neopentyl primary alcohols were efficiently oxidized by DMN-AZADO (2) to the corresponding aldehydes, whereas secondary alcohols remained intact.

Organocatalytic one-pot oxidative cleavage of terminal diols to dehomologated carboxylic acids.

The organocatalytic one-pot oxidative cleavage of terminal 1,2-diols to one-carbon-unit-shorter carboxylic acids is described. The combination of 1-Me-AZADO (cat.), NaOCl (cat.