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Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Metal-free Synthesis of Ynones from Acyl Chlorides and Potassium Alkynyltrifluoroborate Salts
Published on: February 24, 2015
Conjugated ynones in catalytic enantioselective reactions
Linqing Wang1, Haiyong Zhu1, Tianyu Peng1
1Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Drug Design & Synthesis, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China. lqwang@lzu.edu.cn yangdx@lzu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Conjugated ynones are easily accessible feedstock and the existence of an alkyne bond endows ynones with different attractive reactivities, thus making them unique substrates for catalytic asymmetric reactions. Their compatibility under organocatalytic, metal-catalyzed as well as cooperative catalytic conditions has resulted in numerous enantioselective transformations. Importantly, conjugated ynones can act as nucleophiles or electrophiles, and serve as easily accessed synthons for different cyclization pathways. This review summarizes the recent literature examples of the catalytic reactions of conjugated ynones and related compounds such as alkyne conjugated α-ketoesters, and classifies these reaction types alongside mechanistic insights whenever possible. We aim to trigger more intensive research in the future to render the asymmetric transformation of ynones as a common and reliable tool for asymmetric synthesis.
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