Synthetic Potential of Configurationally Unstable Chiral Carbanions

Abstract

This account summarizes our recent efforts in exploring the synthetic potential of configurationally labile chiral carbanions next to electron-withdrawing groups that have previously been considered to be impossible even to generate. We place particular emphasis on the generation and trapping of chiral α-nitrile carbanions as well as evaluation of the configurational stability of those carbanions and effects of solvent on the stability.