α-Functionalisation of Cyclic Sulfides Enabled by Lithiation Trapping.

A general and straightforward procedure for the lithiation trapping of cyclic sulfides such as tetrahydrothiophene, tetrahydrothiopyran and a thiomorpholine is described. Trapping with a wide range of electrophiles is demonstrated, leading to more than 50 diverse α-substituted saturated sulfur heterocycles. The methodology provides access to a range of α-substituted cyclic sulfides that are not easily synthesised by the currently available methods.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Spiropyrazolones by Sequential Organo- and Silver Catalysis.

A stereoselective one-pot synthesis of spiropyrazolones through an organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition and a formal Conia-ene reaction has been developed. Depending on the nitroalkene, the 5-exo-dig-cyclization could be achieved by silver-catalyzed alkyne activation or by oxidation of the intermediate enolate. The mechanistic pathways have been investigated using computational chemistry and mechanistic experiments.