Transition metal-free oxidation with air at room temperature has been achieved by simply using ascorbate (vitamin C) and catalytic amounts of menadione (vitamin K3). A combination of the mentioned vitamins transforms atmospheric oxygen into hydrogen peroxide, which is able to oxidize arylboronic acids and other chemical moieties.

No abstract

Enantiomerically pure anti-β-amino alcohols were synthesized from optically pure α-(N,N-dibenzylamino)benzyl esters, derived from α-amino acids, by the sequential reduction to aldehyde with DIBAL-H at -78 °C and subsequent in situ addition of Grignard reagents. Besides anti-β-amino alcohols, anti-2-amino-1,3-diols and anti-3-amino-1,4-diols were obtained in good yields (60-95%) and excellent stereoselectivity (de > 95%). Our technique is compatible with free hydroxyl groups present in the substrate. To demonstrate the versatility of the method, spisulosine and sphinganine were synthesized in two steps from the appropriate N,N-dibenzyl-l-aminobenzyl ester in 42% and 45% yield, respectively.

A practical and straightforward approach that enables, for the first time, the synthesis of enantiomerically pure 1,4,5-trisubstituted, 1,5-disubstituted, and fused 1,2,3-triazole derivatives has been developed. The synthesis employs enantiomerically pure amino esters derived from amino acids and commercially available ketones under metal-free conditions.