The stereoselective incorporation of fluorine atoms into N-heterocycles can lead to dramatic changes in the molecules' physical and chemical properties. These changes can be rationally exploited for the benefit of diverse fields such as medicinal chemistry and organocatalysis. This brief review will examine some of the effects that fluorine substitution can have in N-heterocycles, including cha...

A direct β-coupling of cyclic ketones with imines has been accomplished via the synergistic combination of photoredox catalysis and organocatalysis. Transient β-enaminyl radicals derived from ketones via enamine and oxidative photoredox catalysis readily combine with persistent α-amino radicals in a highly selective hetero radical-radical coupling. This novel pathway to γ-aminoketones is predic...

The photoenolization/Diels-Alder strategy offers straightforward access to synthetically valuable benzannulated carbocyclic products. This historical light-triggered process has never before succumbed to efforts to develop an enantioselective catalytic approach. Herein, we demonstrate how asymmetric organocatalysis provides simple yet effective catalytic tools to intercept photochemically gener...