A continuing challenge: N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed syntheses of γ-butyrolactones

Chemical Society Reviews Pub Date: 2018-01-26 DOI: 10.1039/C7CS00386B

Abstract

Catalytic, stereoselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed reactions facilitate efficient construction of many different heterocyclic compounds, such as the enantioenriched 5-membered (γ) lactones highlighted in this tutorial review. Herein, various strategies to enable formal [3+2] type annulations between electrophilic carbonyl equivalents and homoenolate nucleophiles for the synthesis of γ-lactones are summarized.

Graphical abstract: A continuing challenge: N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed syntheses of γ-butyrolactones
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