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Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Preparation of Stable Bicyclic Aziridinium Ions and Their Ring-Opening for the Synthesis of Azaheterocycles
Published on: August 22, 2018
Salient features of the aza-Wacker cyclization reaction
Annu Anna Thomas1, Someshwar Nagamalla1, Shyam Sathyamoorthi1
1Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas Lawrence KS USA ssathyam@ku.edu.
Abstract:
The intramolecular aza-Wacker reaction has unparalleled potential for the site-selective amination of olefins, but it is perhaps underappreciated relative to other alkene oxidations. The first part of this review makes the distinction between classical and tethered aza-Wacker cyclization reactions and summarizes examples of the latter. The second portion focuses on developments in asymmetric aza-Wacker cyclization technology. The final part of the review summarizes applications of all classes of aza-Wacker cyclization reactions to natural product assembly.
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