At the start of the project, a new strategy for the difunctionalization of unactivated alkenes using dual transition-metal/photoredox catalysis was studied. Shortly after the start of the action, highly related work was published. Although this clearly demonstrates the importance of the envisioned transformations within this action, the impact of our work (novelty) would be negatively affected. Therefore the course of the action was slightly altered to pursue related yet equally relevant catalytic functionalization reactions of unsaturated C-C bonds. As a result, two new chemical transformations that provide access to substituted carbon skeletons, such as 1,4-aminoalkyl substituted carbon chains for the first project, and α,β-disubstituted γ-butyrolactones and δ-lactams for the second, were developed. These reactions use simple starting materials, mild conditions, and are broadly applicable. Importantly, the obtained products are embedded in molecules that present biological activities, therefore it is expected that the methods will drive industrial innovation and help in the development of new drugs. The results of this project were published in the prestigious journal Nature Catalysis, disseminated via the website and twitter account of the publisher, the host research group and university. A press release was written for both publications.
Project 1: Catalytic radical generation of π-allylpalladium complexes, published in Nature Catalysis, Year 2020, Volume 3, Pages 393–400.
Project 2: Diastereodivergent synthesis of enantioenriched α,β-disubstituted γ-butyrolactones via cooperative N-heterocyclic carbene and Ir catalysis. Nature Catalysis, Year 2020, Volume 3, Pages 48–54.
