Application of donor/acceptor-carbenoids to the synthesis of natural products
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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals
Published on: April 19, 2019
Huw M L Davies1, Justin R Denton
1Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. hmdavie@emory.edu
Abstract:
The metal catalyzed reactions of diazo compounds have been broadly used in organic synthesis. The resulting metal-carbenoid intermediates are capable of undergoing a range of unconventional reactions, and due to their high energy, they are ideal for initiating cascade sequences leading to the rapid generation of structural complexity. This tutorial review will give an overview of the most versatile reactions of donor/acceptor carbenoids, an exciting class of intermediates capable of highly selective reactions. This will include cyclopropanation, [4 + 3] cycloaddition, and C-H functionalization methodologies. The application of this chemistry to the synthesis of a range of natural products will be described.
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