Since the introduction of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran as an useful alternative to the classical tetrahydrofuran, there has been a continuous interest in the synthetic community operating at academic and industrial towards it. In particular, the much higher stability that basic organometallic reagents display in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran makes it suitable for processes involving such sensitive species including asymmetric transformations. The easy formation of an azeotropic mixture with water, the substantial immiscibility with water, and the fact it derives from natural sources (corncobs or bagasse), allow to consider it in agreement with the Anastas’ Geen Chemistry principles. In this minireview, selected examples of its employment in organometallic transformations ranging from carbanions to radical and transition metal-catalyzed processes are provided.Graphical abstract

The commercially available fluoroiodomethane represents a valuable and effective electrophilic source for transferring the CH 2 F unit to a series of heteroatom-centered nucleophiles under mild basic conditions. The excellent manipulability offered by its liquid physical state (bp 53.4°C) enables practical and straightforward one-step nucleophilic substitutions to retain the chiral information embodied, thus allowing it to overcome de facto the requirement for fluoromethylating agents with no immediate access. The high-yielding methodology was successfully applied to a variety of nucleophiles including a series of drugs currently in the market.

The acylation of α-substituted carbanion-type reagents (MCR1R2X; X = halogen, OR, SR, NR3R4, SeR, etc.) with Weinreb amides constitutes a highly versatile and flexible approach for accessing α-functionalized ketones. In this short review we will present a series of transformations—from our own and the work of others—documenting the general applicability of the methodology. Chemoselectivity is uniformly manifested including for critical substrates featuring additional electrophilic functionalities or sterically demanding elements. Importantly, the stereochemical information contained in the Weinreb amides can be fully transferred to the targeted ketones without affecting the optical purity. The protocol is also applicable to chiral carbanions generated through sparteine-mediated asymmetric deprotonation: the careful design of the experimental procedure allows recycling of the sparteine and the Weinreb ‘amine’ (N,O-dimethylhydroxylamine), thus improving the sustainability perspective of the processes.1 Introduction1.1 The Problem of the Synthesis of α-Substituted Ketones1.2 Weinreb Amides: General Features and Preparation2 Synthesis of α-Substituted Ketones2.1 α-Haloketones2.2 Synthesis of α-Cyanoketones2.3 Synthesis of α-Oxyketones2.4 Synthesis of β-Oxo Thioethers (α-Thioketones)2.5 Synthesis of Chiral α-Oxy and α-Nitrogen Ketones via the Sparteine-Mediated Generation of Optically Active Organolithiums2.6 Synthesis of α-Selenomethyl Ketones2.7 Reactivity of α-Phosphorus Carbanions with Weinreb Amides2.8 Modification of the Weinreb Amide Core: The CLAmP Reagent3 Competing Attack of Nucleophiles at More Reactive Electrophilic Sites than Weinreb Amides4 Conclusions

The transfer of a reactive nucleophilic CH2X unit into a preformed bond enables the introduction of a fragment featuring the exact and desired degree of functionalization through a single synthetic operation. The instability of metallated α-organometallic species often poses serious questions regarding the practicability of using this conceptually intuitive and simple approach for forming C-C or C-heteroatom bonds. A deep understanding of processes regulating the formation of these nucleophiles is a precious source of inspiration not only for successfully applying theoretically feasible transformations (i.e. determining how to employ a given reagent), but also for designing new reactions which ultimately lead to the introduction of molecular complexity via short experimental sequences.

Thioformamides are easily prepared – under full chemocontrol – through the partial reduction of isothiocyanates with the in situ generated Schwartz reagent.

Diselenoacetals, previously considered byproducts in homologation tactics en route to α-selenoketones, are herein found to be excellent starting materials for this purpose. The easy selenium/lithium exchange they undergo affords seleno carbanions which are smoothly added to Weinreb amides to chemoselectively prepare α-aryl- and α-alkyl seleno methylketones through a single chemical operation. No racemization events are observed in the presence of optically pure starting materials.

The proper generation of α‐thiomethyllithium reagents via reductive lithiation or deprotonation followed by reaction with variously functionalized Weinreb amides represents an excellent method to access β‐oxo thioethers. The procedure is adaptable to alkyl‐ or aryl‐ thiomethyllithium conjugates. It has the advantages of conceptual simplicity and versatility of the addition of organometallics to Weinreb amides with the possibility to fully preserve the optical information contained in the starting materials.

The selective transfer of diversely functionalized dihalomethyllithiums (LiCHBrCl, LiCHClI, LiCHBrI, LiCHCl 2 , LiCHBr 2 , LiCHFI) to Weinreb amides for preparing gem-dihaloketones in one synthetic operation is reported. The capability of these amides as acylating agents and, the wide availability of dihalomethanes as pronucleophiles, enable a straightforward route to the title compounds under full chemocontrol. No racemization phenomena were evidenced in the case of optically active materials. Additionally, tolerance to sensitive functional groups (esters, amides, halogens, olefins etc.) was uniformly noticed, thus making this conceptually intuitive strategy flexible and tunable by the operator.