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Direct Detection of the Acetate-forming Activity of the Enzyme Acetate Kinase
Published on: December 19, 2011
Direct Catalytic Enantioselective Benzylation from Aryl Acetic Acids
Patrick J Moon1, Zhongyu Wei1, Rylan J Lundgren1
1Department of Chemistry , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2G2 , Canada.
Abstract:
We demonstrate that metal-catalyzed enantioselective benzylation reactions of allylic electrophiles can occur directly from aryl acetic acids. The reaction proceeds via a pathway in which decarboxylation is the terminal event, occurring after stereoselective carbon-carbon bond formation. This mechanistic feature enables enantioselective benzylation without the generation of a highly basic nucleophile. Thus, the process has broad functional group compatibility that would not be possible employing established protocols.
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