Thiophenes from Simmons-Smith

Kanchugarakoppal Rangappa and co-workers at the University of Mysore in India have reported in Tetrahedron Letters on the synthesis of thiophenes using a Simmons-Smith reagent.

TL paper

1,4-conjugate addition in water

Bruce Lipshutz and co-workers have reported in JACS on a organocuprate Michael addition in WATER.

JACS paper

Cyclopropanol ring opening

Jin Kun Cha and co-workers at Wayne State University have reported in ACIE on a ring opening of cyclopropanol using stoichiometric diethyl zinc.

ACIE paper

Some [2+2] cycloaddition chemistry

Tehshik Yoon and co-workers published in Organic Letters on a [2+2] photocycloaddition.

OL paper

Nessan Kerrigan and co-workers at Oakland University have reported in JACS on a [2+2] reaction between ketenes to form beta-lactones.

JACS paper

At first look at Daniel Romo’s name I thought of Tony Romo and funny enough they’re both in Texas.  Here they report on a Mukaiyama Aldol lactonization to form beta-lactones.

JACS paper

Pyridine synthesis

Sang-gi Lee and co-workers have reported in Organic Letters on a synthesis of a substituted pyridine.

OL paper

Ketene cascade

Anthony Barrett and co-workers at Imperial College have reported in Organic Letters on a cascade reaction that involves the formation of a ketene followed by trapping with an enamine to form pyridinones.

OL paper

Cobalt catalyzed Michael addition of alkyne to enone

Tamio Hayashi and co-workers at Kyoto University have reported in Chem Comm on a cobalt catalyzed Michael addition of an alkyne onto an enone.

Chem Comm paper

Alkyl zinc addition onto alkene

Matthew Sigman and colleague at the University of Utah have reported in JACS on an anti-Markovnikov addition of an alkyl group onto an alkene using an alkyl zinc reagent.

JACS paper

Regioselective epoxide opening for lysergic acid

Hiroaki Ohno and co-workers from Kyoto University have reported in JOC on their total synthesis of lysergic acid via a regioselective epoxide opening using a reducing agent.

JOC paper

Autocatalysis may be a rising field

Carreira and co-workers have reported in ACIEE on an autocatalysis reaction.  Normally we think of an asymmetric reaction involving the substrate, reagent, and a catalyst with a chiral ligand.  In this case, they are adding a fourth realm:  the product itself and in enantiomerically pure form.  They are saying that the addition of the product which is in high ee would increase the overall enantioselectivity of this reaction.  I have some questions about this like:  wouldn’t the composition of the enantiomerically pure product you’re adding to the reaction contribute to the ee of the final reaction?

ACIEE paper