The organocatalytic enantiodivergent fluorination of β-ketodiaryl-phosphine oxides for the construction of carbon-fluorine quaternary stereocenters.

Commercially available cinchona alkaloids that can catalyze the enantiodivergent fluorination of β-ketodiarylphosphine oxides were developed to construct carbon-fluorine quaternary stereocenters. This protocol features a wide scope of substrates and excellent enantioselectivities, and it is scalable.

A catalytic asymmetric one-pot [3+2] cyclization/semipinacol rearrangement sequence: an efficient construction of a multi-substituted 3H-spiro[benzofuran-2,1'-cyclopentane] skeleton.

A facile and efficient method to form a chiral multi-substituted 3H-spiro[benzofuran-2,1'-cyclopentane] structural unit has been developed via a one-pot [3+2] cyclization/semipinacol rearrangement cascade. A catalysis system of Cu(ii)/BOX has been used to efficiently construct a key stereogenic center via a cyclization between substituted benzoquinones and allylic alcohols affording the desired products in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities (21 examples; up to 67% yields; up to 92% ee and up to >20 : 1 dr). This method provides an alternative strategy for the synthesis of the corresponding bioactive molecules containing spiro[benzofurancyclopentane] skeleton units.

p-Toluenesulfonic acid catalysed fluorination of α-branched ketones for the construction of fluorinated quaternary carbon centres.

A p-toluenesulfonic acid catalyzed fluorination of α-branched ketones for the construction of fluorinated quaternary carbon centers has been developed, featuring a broad substrate scope, environmentally benign reaction conditions, and operational simplicity.