Herein we report a Pd-catalyzed alkylation of lactic acid with the assistance of 8-aminoquinoline auxiliary. A wide range of alkyl iodides bearing b-hydrogen atoms are compatible with the reaction conditions, providing a practical and straightforward alternative to access chiral a-hydroxy acids (AHAs). The new reactions have been applied for the synthesis of isotope-labeled AHAs and a sugarcont...

9-Methylacridine was identified as a generally effective ligand to promote a Pd(II)-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H and C(sp(2))-H alkylation of simple amides with various alkyl iodides. This alkylation reaction was applied to the preparation of unnatural amino acids and geometrically controlled tri- and tetrasubstituted acrylic acids.

An iron-catalysed, hydride-mediated reductive cross-coupling reaction has been developed for the preparation of alkanes. Using a bench-stable iron(II) pre-catalyst, reductive cross-coupling of vinyl iodides, bromides and chlorides with aryl- and alkyl Grignard reagents successfully gave the products of formal sp(3)-sp(3) cross-coupling reactions.

The synthesis of β-arylated alkylamides via alkyl C-H bond arylation has been realized by means of direct one-pot reactions of acyl chlorides, aryl iodides and 8-aminoquinoline. Depending on the structure of the starting materials, both single and double β-arylated alkylamides could be accessed.

[equation: see text] An efficient one-pot route to unsymmetrical diorganyl selenides has been developed by ruthenium(III) chloride catalyzed reactions of dibenzyl or diphenyl diselenides with alkyl halides in the presence of zinc. Organic iodides, bromides, and activated chlorides underwent the reactions efficiently. Unreactive organic chlorides also underwent the same type of selenation with s...

Alkyl iodides and tertiary silanes were successfully coupled with good functional group tolerance using a Pt(P(tBu)(3))(2)/(iPr)(2)EtN/CH(3)CN system. The utility of the methodology is demonstrated by the synthesis of silafluofen, a Si-containing insecticide.

A new, mild, and environment friendly process for the reduction of S-alkyl-thionocarbonates, iodides and related compounds to the corresponding hydrocarbons at room temperature with good to excellent yields is described. This method uses a trialkylborane in excess (Et3B or Bu3B) and air.

Unprotected homoallylic alcohols can be directly converted to cis-2,6-disubstituted pyrans by palladium catalyzed B-alkyl Suzuki coupling and subsequent Michael addition.