Zhenqian Fu, Jianfeng Xu, Tingshun Zhu, Wendy Wen Yi Leong & Yonggui Robin Chi
doi:10.1038/nchem.1710
Direct β-carbon activation of saturated carbonyl compounds represents a significant fundamental challenge in organic chemistry. Here, the catalytic activation of saturated ester β-sp3 carbon as nucleophile via N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysis is reported. The catalytically generated nucleophilic β-carbon undergoes enantioselective reactions with various electrophiles.
