Reinventing aldehyde-alkene reductive couplings

The development of novel methods for the preparation of organic compounds is an endeavor of critical relevance to society and Mankind as a whole. In the field of organic synthesis, novel methods that enable the formation of carbon-carbon bonds are in high demand. The project entitled Reinventing aldehyde-alkene reductive couplings: redox-neutral hydride transfer as a key step aims to develop a novel technology for carbon-carbon bond formation by combination of two types of readily available feedstocks aldehydes and alkenes. In a departure from commonly accepted dogmas in this field, we shall employ simple catalytic conditions and rely on a carbocationic mechanism, long accepted to be fraught with challenges that lie beyond the ability of classical organic synthesis. By employing a catch- release strategy, we propose to comprehensively tackle those challenges. This will usher in a new perspective for this field and allow, for example, the direct preparation of complex bioactive substances in a very short number of synthetic steps.

A new approach to the reductive coupling of aldehydes and alkenes was developed as part of the research project. The aim was to develop innovative methods to produce complex molecules, such as macrocycles, efficiently and in a stereocontrolled manner. In addition to the original research direction, related coupling reactions such as redox-neutral processes and hydride transfer mechanisms were also investigated.