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Updated: May 22, 2026

A Microwave-Assisted Direct Heteroarylation of Ketones Using Transition Metal Catalysis
Published on: February 16, 2020
Enantioselective copper-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkenylazaarenes with ketones
Aakarsh Saxena1, Bonnie Choi, Hon Wai Lam
1EaStCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Catalytic enantioselective methods for the preparation of chiral azaarene-containing compounds are of high value. By combining the utility of copper hydride catalysis with the ability of C═N-containing azaarenes to activate adjacent alkenes toward nucleophilic additions, the enantioselective reductive coupling of alkenylazaarenes with ketones has been developed. The process is tolerant of a wide variety of azaarenes and ketones, and provides aromatic heterocycles bearing tertiary-alcohol-containing side chains with high levels of diastereo- and enantioselection.
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