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Updated: May 18, 2026

Efficient Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via the Conjugate Addition of Functionalized Monoorganozinc Bromides
Published on: May 26, 2019
Chelation-controlled addition of organozincs to α-chloro aldimines
Gretchen R Stanton1, Per-Ola Norrby, Patrick J Carroll
1Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, USA.
Abstract:
Nucleophilic additions to α-chiral α-halo carbonyl derivatives are well-known to generate Cornforth-Evans products via a nonchelation pathway. What was unprecedented before this report is C-X bonds reversing the diastereoselectivity through coordination to metals during C-C bond-forming reactions (chelation control). Herein we describe chelation control involving C-X bonds in highly diastereoselective additions of organozinc reagents to a variety of α-chloro aldimines. The unique ability of alkylzinc halide Lewis acids to coordinate to the Cl, N, and O of α-chloro sulfonyl imine substrates is supported by computational studies.
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