Benjamin List – författare

Asymmetric Organocatalysis comprehensively covers all the catalysts and reactions within the activation modes Lewis base catalysis and Lewis acid catalysis. Typical or general experimental procedures as well as mechanistic, technical and theoretical aspects are included, allowing the reader to clearly see how simple, clean and efficient this chemistry is.

Authoritative, broad overview of the field, compiled by 36 expertsCritical presentation of the best organocatalytic and related methodologies available today for practical asymmetric synthesisProvides alternative, greener syntheses with simple and easily used catalysts helping avoid the use of expensive and/or toxic metals

Presenting contributions from leading experts to an Ernst Schering Research Foundation Symposium held in April 2007, this book illustrates current progress in organocatalysis in functional group interconversions, organocatalytic CC- and CX-bond formations with small molecules with a number of related topics in this highly dynamic field of research.

As nucleophiles, simple alkenes are typically so unreactive that only highly active electrophiles, such as carbocations, peroxides, and halogens will react with them. For the generation of carbon-carbon bonds, milder methods will often be required. Fortunately, it is possible to increase the reactivity of alkene-type p-nucleophiles by introducing electron-donating substituents. Substitution of one H with an OH or OR gives an enol or a vinyl ether, which are already much better nucleophiles. Using nitrogen instead of oxygen, one obtains even better nucleophiles, enamines. Enamines are among the most reactive neutral carbon nucleophiles, exhibiting rates that are even comparable to some charged nucleophiles, such as enolates [1, 2]. Most enamines, unfortunately, are sensitive to hydrolysis. The parent enamine, N,N-dimethylvinylamine, has in fact been prepared [3], but appears to be uns- ble. Enamines of cyclic ketones and many aldehydes can readily be isolated, however [4-7].The instability of enamines might at first appear to diminish the utility of enamines as nucleophiles, but actually this property can be viewed as an added benefit: enamines can be readily and rapidly generated catalytically by using a suitable amine and a carbonyl compound. The condensation of aldehydes or ketones with amines initially affords an imine or iminium ion, which then rapidly loses a proton to afford the corresponding enamine (Scheme 1).

This book provides an excellent overview on state-of-the-art of modern organocatalysis. It presents the contributions from leading experts, with backgrounds in academia and industry, to an Ernst Schering Research Foundation Symposium held in April 2007. It will be of interest to those who want a general overview of the topic, but also to those who want to learn more about the state-of-the-art, current trends and perspectives in this highly dynamic field of research.