Highly efficient visible-light initiated direct oxysulfonylation of alkenes with sulfinic acids leading to β-ketosulfones has been realized under metal-free conditions.

A novel chiral biamide-phosphine multifunctional catalyst has been developed that mediates the asymmetric intermolecular Michael addition of β-carbonyl esters to β-trifluoromethyl enones and 3-aroyl acrylates in the presence of competing methyl acrylate and the inorganic base. This method provides a facile access to structurally diverse trifluoromethyl and quaternary stereogenic centers with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee) and good diastereoselectivity (up to 13:1 dr). The addition of the inorganic base (KPO) does not cause the background racemic reaction and enhances the reactivity by serving as a co-catalyst.

Compared to the most popular directing-group-assisted strategy, the "undirected" strategy for C-H bond functionalization represents a more flexible but more challenging approach. Reported herein is a gold-catalyzed highly site-selective C(sp )-H alkylation of unactivated arenes with 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl α-aryl-α-diazoesters. This protocol demonstrates that high site-selective C-H bond functionalization can be achieved without the assistance of a directing group. In this transformation, both the gold catalyst and trifluoroethyl group on the ester of the diazo compound play vital roles for achieving the chemo- and regioselectivity.

A chiral amide-phosphine bifunctional catalyst was developed and successfully applied to the asymmetric intermolecular cross-vinylogous Rauhut−Currier of alkyl vinyl ketones with para-quinone methides, offering excellent regioselectivity and stereoselectivity (up to >99% enantiomeric excess (ee)). This method provides a facile access to structurally diverse widely existed diarylmethine stereogenic centers with excellent enantioselectivity. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to understand the mechanism and enantioselectivity for this phosphinecatalyzed asymmetric transformation.

A convenient copper-catalyzed domino method for the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycle-fused benzoimidazole and 1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxides has been developed using readily available 2-bromo-N-phenylbenzenesulfonamides and benzimidazole derivatives as the starting materials. The domino process comprises an Ullmann-type N-arylation and intramolecular C-H amination. The inexpensive and efficient copper-catalyzed method should provide a new and useful strategy for for constructing novel, biologically interesting heterocycles containing benzoimidazole and 1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-dioxide motifs.

A concise synthesis of functionalized indene derivatives via the gold(i)-catalysed cascade C-H functionalization/conia-ene type reaction of electron-rich aromatics with o-alkynylaryl α-diazoesters has been developed. In this transformation, the gold catalyst not only catalysed the formation of the zwitterionic intermediate via intermolecular C-H functionalization but promoted the subsequent intramolecular 5-endo-dig cyclization via activation of alkynes. The reaction is characterized by high chemo- and site-selectivity, readily available starting materials, nice functional-group tolerance and mild reaction conditions.

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