Organocatalytic Asymmetric Nucleophilic Addition to o-Quinone Methides by Alcohols

Zengwei Lai1, Zhaobin Wang1, Jianwei Sun1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Organic Letters
|December 5, 2015
PubMed

Related Concept Videos

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones01:17

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones

In the presence of oxidizing agents, phenols are oxidized to quinones. Quinones can be easily reduced back to phenols using mild reducing agents. The electron-donating hydroxyl group enhances the reactivity of the aromatic ring, enabling oxidation of the ring even in the absence of an α hydrogen.
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox...
5.3K
Preparation of Alcohols via Addition Reactions02:15

Preparation of Alcohols via Addition Reactions

Overview
The acid-catalyzed addition of water to the double bond of alkenes is a large-scale industrial method used to synthesize low-molecular-weight alcohols. An acidic atmosphere is required to allow the hydrogen in the water molecule to act as an electrophile and attack the double bond in an alkene. The addition of a proton to the double bond creates a carbocation intermediate. The proton preferentially bonds to the less substituted end of the double bond to create a more stable carbocation...
8.2K
Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids02:04

Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids

Diols are compounds with two hydroxyl groups. In addition to syn dihydroxylation, diols can also be synthesized through the process of anti dihydroxylation. The process involves treating an alkene with a peroxycarboxylic acid to form an epoxide. Epoxides are highly strained three-membered rings with oxygen and two carbons occupying the corners of an equilateral triangle. This step is followed by ring-opening of the epoxide in the presence of an aqueous acid to give a trans diol.
8.1K
Base-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction01:08

Base-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction

As depicted in Figure 1, base-catalyzed aldol addition involves adding two carbonyl compounds in aqueous sodium hydroxide to form a β-hydroxy carbonyl compound.
4.8K
Aldehydes and Ketones with Alcohols: Hemiacetal Formation01:19

Aldehydes and Ketones with Alcohols: Hemiacetal Formation

Similar to water, alcohols can add to the carbonyl carbon of the aldehydes and ketones. The addition of one molecule of alcohol to the carbonyl compound forms the hemiacetal or half acetal. As depicted below, in a hemiacetal, the carbon is directly linked to an OH and OR group.
11.0K
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide02:44

Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide

Alkenes are converted to 1,2-diols or glycols through a process called dihydroxylation. It involves the addition of two hydroxyl groups across the double bond with two different stereochemical approaches, namely anti and syn. Dihydroxylation using osmium tetroxide progresses with syn stereochemistry.
13.5K