24. Access to High Levels of Molecular Complexity by One-Pot Iridium/Enamine Asymmetric Catalysis
    Adrien Quintard, Alexandre Alexakis,* Clément Mazet*
    Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 2354-2358
    [ selected as a 'Hot Paper' and Highlighted in: Synfacts 2011, 0519 and Chimia 2011, 65, 360. ]

Independent workers with team spirit: A catalytic sequence that exploits the compatibility of (chiral) cationic iridium catalysts for the isomerization of primary allylic alcohols to aldehydes with organocatalysts has been developed for the highly enantioselective α functionalization of aldehydes (see scheme: up to 66 % yield, d.r. 49:1, 99 % ee). The reaction displayed useful generality with respect to both the nucleophile and the electrophile.

open archive unige:14494

Editor’s version DOI: 10.1002/anie.201007001