Asymmetric α‐Alkylation of Aldehydes, Ketones, and Carboxylic Acids

Abstract

Asymmetric carbon–carbon, bond‐forming reactions comprise one of the most important general classes of synthetic transformations. Among the various methods used for the construction of these bonds, those based on electrophilic addition to enolates (and their analogs) are especially pervasive. Indeed, the asymmetric α‐alkylation of aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids is firmly entrenched as a fundamental method for the stereocontrolled synthesis of natural products and drugs. This chapter provides an overview of the current state‐of‐the‐art approaches to achieving such transformations, which includes the firmly established and well‐tested auxiliary‐based methods, as well as more recent nonauxiliary strategies conducted in both a stoichiometric and a catalytic fashion.