Dehydrogenation as a substrate-activating strategy in homogeneous transition-metal catalysis.

Hydrogen autotransfer in the N-alkylation of amines and related compounds using alcohols and amines as electrophiles.

Alcohols can be temporarily converted into carbonyl compounds by the metal-catalysed removal of hydrogen. The carbonyl compounds are reactive in a wider range of transformations than the precursor alcohols and can react in situ to give imines, alkenes, and α-functionalised carbonyl compounds. The metal catalyst, which had borrowed the hydrogen, then returns it to the transformed carbonyl compound, leading to an overall process in which alcohols can be converted into amines, compounds containing CC bonds and β-functionalised alcohols.

Borrowing hydrogen in the activation of alcohols

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Reactions for Organic Synthesis.

Recent developments in the stereoselective synthesis of α-aminoacids

Regio- and stereocontrolled synthesis of epoxy alcohols and triols from allylic and homoallylic alcohols via iodocarbonates

A facile synthesis of symmetrical secondary amines from primary amines promoted by the homogeneous catalyst RuCl2(Ph3P)3

Cyclization of .alpha.,.omega. aliphatic diamines and conversion of primary amines to symmetrical tertiary amines by a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst

Selective conversion of primary amines into N,N-dimethylalkyl- or N,N-dialkylmethyl-amines with methanol and RuCl2(Ph3P)3

Treatment of (3S)-3-methylpiperazine-2,5-dione 6a with LHDMS followed by alkylation of the corresponding enolate with methyl iodide affords (3S,6S)-3,6-dimethyl derivative 7 in 98% de. The same reaction sequence carried out on (3R)-derivative 6b leads to a 93:7 diastereomeric mixture of (3R,6R)-8a and (3R,6S)-8b. Cleavage of the heterocyclic ring of 7 and 8a with 57% HI leads to (S)- and (R)-alanine, respectively. The configuration at C-3 (of 6a and 6b) and at C-6 (of 7 and 8a) can be assigned on the basis of 1 H NMR spectroscopy and conformational analysis performed by MMPMI

Diastereoselective alkylation of (3S)- and (3R)-3-methylpiperazine-2,5-dione derivatives. A convenient approach to both (S)- and (R)-alanine

Gianni Porzi

Papers

Regio- and stereocontrolled synthesis of epoxy alcohols and triols from allylic and homoallylic alcohols via iodocarbonates

A facile synthesis of symmetrical secondary amines from primary amines promoted by the homogeneous catalyst RuCl2(Ph3P)3

Cyclization of .alpha.,.omega. aliphatic diamines and conversion of primary amines to symmetrical tertiary amines by a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst

Selective conversion of primary amines into N,N-dimethylalkyl- or N,N-dialkylmethyl-amines with methanol and RuCl2(Ph3P)3

Diastereoselective alkylation of (3S)- and (3R)-3-methylpiperazine-2,5-dione derivatives. A convenient approach to both (S)- and (R)-alanine