α-Hydroxy ketones are valuable synthons in organic chemistry. Here we show that oxidation of vic-diols to α-hydroxy ketones with H2O2 can be achieved with an in situ prepared catalyst based on manganese salts and pyridine-2-carboxylic acid. Furthermore the same catalyst is effective in alkene epoxidation, and it is shown that alkene oxidation with the MnII catalyst and H2O2 followed by Lewis ac...

The first efficient and non-precious nanoparticle catalyst for alkene hydrosilylation with commercially relevant tertiary silanes has been developed. The nickel nanoparticle catalyst was prepared in situ from a simple nickel alkoxide precatalyst Ni(O(t) Bu)2 ⋅x KCl. The catalyst exhibits high activity for anti-Markovnikov hydrosilylation of unactivated terminal alkenes and isomerizing hydrosily...

In the crystal structure of the title ketoamine, C(19)H(29)NO, the bond lengths from the N atom through the alkene group to the ketone O atom show the presence of an extensively delocalized π-system. The dihedral angle between the plane of the phenyl ring and that of the alkene component is 63.45 (7)° due to steric hindrance exerted by the tert-butyl groups. The mol-ecule has a Z-configured alk...

A unique alkene difunctionalization reaction that allows rapid construction of molecular complexity around the biologically relevant indole framework has been developed. The reaction proceeds with up to 87% yield, 99:1 er, and >20:1 dr. Evaluation of several of the compounds revealed promising anticancer activity against MCF-7 cells.

A useful and flexible strategy for synthesis of (-)- and (+)-infectocaryone from commercial sugars is developed. The key step of the synthesis is a new-type Diels-Alder reaction with good chemoselectivity and stereoselectivity, in which a mixture of alkene regioisomers in a dynamic equilibrium is employed as chiral dienophiles for the first time.

A three-component coupling of vinyl triflates and boronic acids to alkenes catalyzed by palladium is reported. Using 1,3-dienes, selective 1,2-alkene difunctionalization is observed, whereas the use of terminal alkenes results in 1,1-alkene difunctionalization. The reaction outcome is attributed to the formation of stabilized, cationic Pdπ-allyl intermediates to regulate β-hydride elimination. ...

Highly substituted 4H-pyrans can be smoothly synthesized from readily available 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alkene-1-ones by DBU- or n-Bu(3)P catalyzed hetero-[4+2] cycloaddition reactions, in which 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alkene-1-ones act as both heterodiene and heterodinenophile.

A series of complexes of novel chelating thione-alkene S(η(2)-C[double bond, length as m-dash]C)S tridentate ligands bound to late transition metals (Ir, Rh, Pd) were isolated and characterised. Counter-anions play an important role in the binding of the alkene moiety to the metals. Different solvents were observed to affect the stability of the rhodium complexes.

Simple strategies for using alkene reductase enzymes to produce gram-scale quantities of both (R)- and (S)-citronellal have been developed. The methodology is easily accessible to non-specialist laboratories, allowing alkene reductases to be added to the toolbox of routine synthetic transformations.