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Only a few catalytic asymmetric COC bond-forming reactions have been shown to be useful for constructing all-carbon quaternary stereocenters. This Perspective examines the current state of such methods.C arbon atoms bonded to four carbon substituents (all-carbon quaternary centers) pose a particular challenge for synthesis because creation of such centers is complicated by steric repulsion between the carbon substituents. When the four substituents differ, quaternary stereocenters become a singular challenge for achieving efficient asymmetric syntheses of chiral organic molecules (1-4). The invention of catalytic methods for asymmetric synthesis is one of the foremost recent achievements of chemistry (5), with the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognizing William S. Knowles, Ryoji Noyori, and K. Barry Sharpless for their pioneering development of catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation and oxidation reactions. At present, many broadly useful methods for catalytic asymmetric oxidation and reduction exist; however, far fewer catalytic asymmetric methods for forming COC bonds have been invented to date (5). As disclosures in this special feature will attest, this latter area of catalytic asymmetric synthesis is a current focus of intense investigation worldwide.At present only a few catalytic asymmetric COC bond-forming reactions have been shown to be useful for constructing quaternary carbons, undoubtedly reflecting the additional steric challenge involved in forming all-carbon quaternary centers. This Perspective will examine the current state of such methods. The focus will be on reactions for which some generality has been documented, and several examples exist of reactions that proceed with enantiomeric selectivities of at least 9:1 [enantiomeric excesses (ees) Ͼ80%]. The discussion is organized by general reaction types that have proven useful, not by the more commonly used organizations that focus on one specific transformation or one family of asymmetric catalysts. It is hoped that this organization will highlight the many opportunities that exist for future discoveries in this area. The less general approach for forming allcarbon quaternary stereocenters in which a group-selective catalytic asymmetric reaction is used to desymmetrize a prochiral intermediate containing a quaternary carbon will be briefly mentioned also. No attempt to summarize this latter field will be made, as any catalytic asymmetric reaction could in principle be used in this approach. In four areas, catalytic methods for directly forming all-carbon stereocenters are most developed: Diels-Alder reactions, the combination of chiral carbon nucleophiles with carbon electrophiles, reactions of allylmetal intermediates with carbon nucleophiles, and intramolecular Heck reactions. Our discussion will begin with these reaction types. Asymmetric Diels-Alder ReactionsThe Diels-Alder reaction provides two approaches for forming quaternary stereocenters contained within the cyclohexene framework (Scheme 1). In reactions of type I, electron-rich dienes c...

Strategies for the total synthesis of complex natural products that contain two or more contiguous stereogenic quarternary carbon atoms in their intricate structures are reviewed with twelve representative examples. Emphasis has been put on the methods to create quarternary carbon stereocenters, including syntheses of the same natural product from different groups, thereby showcasing diversity of thought and individual creativity. A compendium of selected natural products containing two or more contiguous stereogenic quarternary carbon atoms and key reactions in their total or partial syntheses is provided in the Supporting Information section.

Recent progress in the development of photocatalytic reactions promoted by visible light is leading to a renaissance in the use of photochemistry in the construction of structurally elaborate organic molecules. Because of the rich functionality found in natural products, studies in natural product total synthesis provide useful insights into functional group compatibility of these new photocatalytic methods as well as their impact on synthetic strategy. In this review, we examine total syntheses published through the end of 2020 that employ a visible-light photoredox catalytic step. To assist someone interested in employing the photocatalytic steps discussed, the review is organized largely by the nature of the bond formed in the photocatalytic step.

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