Roly J. Armstrong, T. Donohoe
May 5, 2021
Citations
0
Influential Citations
5
Citations
Journal
Tetrahedron Letters
Abstract
Abstract Pentamethylphenyl (Ph*) ketones are rapidly emerging as versatile and useful building blocks for organic synthesis. The ortho-methyl substituents force the aromatic ketone to twist out of planarity with the carbonyl, and consequently these molecules display a unique pattern of reactivity which is completely distinct to that of traditional aromatic ketones. The primary aim of this Digest is to highlight examples where new chemical reactivity is unlocked through the use of Ph* ketones, and a wide range of examples are presented including hydrogen borrowing catalysis, aldol addition and organocatalysis. Finally, methods to cleave the Ph* group to a range of other functionality are surveyed.