Re‐Evaluating the Nucleophilicity of Zinc Enolates in Alkylation Reactions

Abstract

Abstract The use of toluene allows for allylic and benzylic alkylation of zinc enolates, derived from an asymmetric copper‐catalyzed conjugate addition of dialkylzinc, using a range of valuable electrophiles. The one‐pot procedure avoids the use of additional transition‐metal catalysts and does not require highly activated electrophiles.