A facile and efficient protocol is reported for the synthesis of calix[4]pyrroles and N-confused calix[4]pyrroles in moderate to excellent yields by reaction of dialkyl or cycloalkyl ketones with pyrrole catalyzed by reusable Amberlyst(TM)-15 under eco-friendly conditions.

The intramolecular reaction of dialkyl peroxides with carbanions, generated via chemoselective metal-heteroatom exchange or deprotonation, provides a new approach to cyclic ethers. Applied in tandem with C-C bond formation, the strategy enables a one-step annelation to form oxaospirocycles.

An efficient cascade reaction of 2,3-allenoic acids with dialkyl azodicarboxylate in the presence of PPh3 affording 1,2-bis(alkoxycarbonyl)pyrazol-3-ones in moderate yields has been developed. The reaction may proceed via the intramolecular Michael addition of the expected 2,3-allenoyl hydrazines.

Conceptually new bifunctional chiral ligands were developed. The axially chiral N,N-bidentate phenanthroline ligand (S)-1 was found to be effective for Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of allyl acetate and dialkyl malonate. The intramolecular Lewis basic group from the hydroxybinaphthyl structure of (S)-1 played a pivotal role in the high reactivity and enantioselectivity.

γ-Butyrobetaine hydroxylase (BBOX) is a 2-oxoglutarate dependent oxygenase that catalyzes the final hydroxylation step in the biosynthesis of carnitine. BBOX was shown to catalyze the oxidative desymmetrization of achiral N,N-dialkyl piperidine-4-carboxylates to give products with two or three stereogenic centers.

N-Heterocyclic carbenes catalyzed hydrophosphonylation reaction of α-ketoesters and α-trifluoromethyl ketones was developed. Under the catalysis of 10 mol% IPr, α-ketoesters or α-trifluoromethyl ketones reacted with dialkyl phosphites to provide quaternary α-hydroxyphosphonates in good to excellent yield.

The stereocontrolled synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleoside phosphorothioates (PS-ODNs) using nucleoside 3'-O-oxazaphospholidine derivatives as monomer units is described. 2-Chloro-1,3,2-oxazaphospholidine derivatives were prepared from six kinds of enantiopure 1,2-amino alcohols and used for the phosphitylation reactions of 5'-O-protected nucleosides. A detailed study of these reactions reveale...

A new approach for the synthesis of two enantiomers ?-phosphorus-containing ?-amino acids was developed via Michael addition secondary phosphine oxides and dialkyl phosphites to chiral Ni(ii)-complexes a dehydroalanine-Schiff base.