Recent progress in the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions

Abstract

The Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction, α-hydroxyalkylation of activated olefins, has attracted considerable research interest because of the synthetic utility of the densely functionalized product as well as the exquisite tandem Michael-aldol reaction process under nucleophilic catalysis. This review gives an overview on recent remarkable progress in the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions. Several other successful methods affording the Morita-Baylis-Hillman type adducts are also reviewed by focusing their imaginative strategies.