N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Enantioselective α‐Fluorination of Aliphatic Aldehydes and α‐Chloro Aldehydes: Synthesis of α‐Fluoro Esters,Amides, and Thioesters

The asymmetric fluorination of azolium enolates that are generated from readily available simple aliphatic aldehydes or α‐chloro aldehydes and N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) is described. The process significantly expands the synthetic utility of NHC‐catalyzed fluorination and provides facile access to a wide range of α‐fluoro esters, amides, and thioesters with excellent enantioselectivity. Pyrazole was identified as an excellent acyl transfer reagent for catalytic amide formation.     

Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed Sequential C(sp)?C(sp3) and C(sp3)?C(sp3) Bond Formation through Migratory Carbene Insertion

A Rh^I‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of tert‐propargyl alcohol, diazoester, and alkyl halide has been developed. This reaction can be considered as a carbene‐involving sequential alkyl and alkynyl coupling, in which C(sp) C(sp³) and C(sp³) C(sp³) bonds are built successively on the carbenic carbon atom. The Rh^I‐carbene migratory insertion of an alkynyl moiety and subsequent alkylation are proposed to account for the two separate C C bond formations. This reaction provides an efficient and tunable method for the construction of all‐carbon quaternary center.     

Divergent C?H Insertion–Cyclization Cascades of N‐Allyl Ynamides

Gold carbene reactivity patterns were accessed by ynamide insertion into a C(sp³) H bond. A substantial increase in molecular complexity occurred through the cascade polycyclization of N‐allyl ynamides to form fused nitrogen‐heterocycle scaffolds. Exquisite selectivity was observed despite several competing pathways in an efficient gold‐catalyzed synthesis of densely functionalized C(sp³)‐rich polycycles and a copper‐catalyzed synthesis of fused pyridine derivatives. The respective gold–keteniminium and ketenimine activation pathways have been explored through a structure–reactivity study, and isotopic labeling identified turnover‐limiting C H bond‐cleavage in both processes.