The authors thank the American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund Undergraduate New Investigator Program (Award No. 58488-UNI1), the ACS and Pfizer (SURF support to T.J.F.), Bucknell University (research fellowships to T.J.F.), and the Department of Chemistry (research fellowship to K.M.T.) for generous support of this work. Dr. Peter M. Findeis and Brian Breczinski are acknowledged for experimental and instrumentation assistance.

CAUTION: Consult Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) prior to the use of the chemicals in this procedure. Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including safety glasses, a lab coat, and nitrile or butyl gloves as many of the reagents and solvents are corrosive, toxic, or flammable. Carry out all reactions in a fume hood. It is necessary to flame-dry glassware and use an inert atmosphere (nitrogen or argon) for this protocol. Liquids used in the first two steps of the protocol are syringe transferred.
1. Functionalized monoorganozinc bromide formation16
<ol>
	<li>Add zinc dust (0.8173 g, 12.50 mmol, 2.5 equiv), DMA (6.0 mL), and I2 (126.9 mg, 0.500 mmol, 0.10 equiv) to a flame-dried 50 mL Schlenk reaction flask containing a stir bar under argon. Stir the suspension at ambient temperature until the brownish-orange color completely dissipates to a gray suspension. 
	CAUTION: DMA is flammable, acutely toxic, and a mild irritant.</li>
	<li>Add ethyl 4-bromobutyrate (6; 1.43 mL, 10.0 mmol, 2.0 equiv) to the gray suspension. Immerse the flask in an 80 &#176;C oil bath with vigorous stirring until consumption of the organobromide is observed by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. 
	CAUTION: Ethyl 4-bromobutyrate is flammable and a mild irritant.
	<ol>
		<li>Briefly dip a disposable glass Pasteur pipet into the reaction mixture, remove from the flask and rinse the aliquot with ca. 0.5 mL of diethyl ether (Et2O) into a 2 mL vial containing ca. 0.5 mL of saturated NH4Cl. Vigorously shake the vial and analyze the organic layer by GC. 
		NOTE: Reaction progress is determined by comparing the disappearance of the organobromide peak to the appearance of the protonated organozinc reagent, which typically has a shorter retention time. 
		CAUTION: Et2O is flammable and acutely toxic.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Cool the monoorganozinc reagent to ambient temperature. The remainder of this conjugate addition protocol can be paused at this stage for several hours to overnight under inert atmosphere with minimal impact on the yield of the conjugate addition product.</li>
</ol>
2. Monoorganozinc bromide conjugate addition to &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated ketones
<ol>
	<li>Cool the organozinc suspension in an ice/H2O bath for ca. 5 min, and then add CuBr&#183;DMS (205.6 mg, 1.000 mmol, 0.20 equiv) and additional DMA (10.5 mL, 0.30 M overall with respect to unsaturated ketone), and stir the reaction for ca. 10 min.</li>
	<li>Add TMSCl (1.52 mL, 12.0 mmol, 2.4 equiv) to the cooled suspension, followed by 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone (13; 567 &#181;L, 5.00 mmol, 1.0 equiv). Remove the cooling bath after ca. 30 min and monitor the reaction until the a,b-unsaturated ketone is consumed by TLC analysis, or up to 24 h. 
	NOTE: TLC analysis is performed with silica-coated glass plates and developed with 4:1 hexanes&#8211;ethyl acetate. Rf values: unsaturated ketone 13 = 0.15; silyl enol ether 37 = 0.61; ketone product 21 = 0.21. Visualization is achieved by UV-quenching at 254 nm, followed by p-anisaldehyde staining. 
	CAUTION: TMSCl is flammable, acutely toxic, a skin irritant, and corrosive. 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone is flammable and acutely toxic.</li>
</ol>
3. Extraction work-up and purification
<ol>
	<li>Add acetic acid (1.5 mL, ca. 5 equiv) to the completed conjugate addition reaction to hydrolyze the intermediate silyl enol ether into the ketone product. Monitor the progress of hydrolysis in ca. 15 min intervals by TLC analysis using conditions from step 2.2. 
	CAUTION: Acetic acid is flammable and corrosive.
	<ol>
		<li>In the event that the silyl enol ether remains after 1 h, add tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF; 1 M solution in THF, 0.5&#8211;1.0 equiv at a time) to facilitate complete hydrolysis as evident by TLC.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Add 1 M HCl (15 mL) to the reaction flask, mix well, and then transfer the reaction contents into a 250 mL separatory funnel. Rinse the flask with Et2O (20 mL) and H2O (15 mL), adding the rinses to the separatory funnel. Gently shake the contents of the funnel, venting between each mixing, and allow the layers to separate. Drain the bottom aqueous layer into a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask, and then drain the organic layer into a separate 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask.</li>
	<li>Return the aqueous layer to the separatory funnel and extract with four separate portions of Et2O (4 x 30 mL), adding each organic extraction to the organic-containing Erlenmeyer flask.</li>
	<li>Add the combined organic extractions to the separatory funnel and sequentially wash with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 (25 mL), then saturated aqueous NaCl (25 mL). Drain each aqueous washing into the aqueous-containing Erlenmeyer flask, and drain the final organic layer into a dry 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask.</li>
	<li>Dry the organic layer over MgSO4 and vacuum filter into a 250 mL round bottom flask using a glass-fritted Buchner funnel. Rinse the solids on the frit with a small portion of additional Et2O.</li>
	<li>Concentrate the filtrate under reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator. Place the flask with remaining residue under high vacuum (ca. 75&#8211;200 mtorr) for at least 10 min. Analyze a sample of the crude residue by 1H NMR using CDCl3.</li>
	<li>Purify the crude oil by automated flash chromatography using a silica gel (SiO2) stationary phase with a dry-loaded sample and elute with ethyl acetate in hexanes.
	<ol>
		<li>Dry-load the sample by dissolving the crude oil in a minimal amount of Et2O, and then transfer this solution to a prepacked SiO2 cartridge (25 g). Apply a reduced pressure to the bottom of the loading column for ca. 5 min to remove the excess solvent.</li>
		<li>Elute the sample using a prepacked SiO2 column (100 g) with a gradient of ethyl acetate in hexanes (5% &#8594; 25%), collecting the column effluent in test tubes.</li>
		<li>Assay fraction purity using TLC analysis (conditions in Step 2.2). Combine and rinse all fractions containing the desired quaternary ketone into a tared round bottom flask.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Concentrate the solution under reduced pressure on a rotary evaporator and remove the final volatiles under high vacuum for at least 30 min. Obtain a final mass of the flask and analyze a sample of the purified product by 1H NMR using CDCl3. 
	CAUTION: Hexanes and ethyl acetate are flammable. SiO2 powder is a respiratory irritant.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Hawner, C., Alexakis, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metal-Catalyzed+Asymmetric+Conjugate+Addition+Reaction:+Formation+of+Quaternary+Stereocenters.">Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Addition Reaction: Formation of Quaternary Stereocenters.</a> Chemical Communications. 46 (39), 7295-7306 (2010).</li><li>Quasdorf, K. W., Overman, L. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Catalytic+Enantioselective+Synthesis+of+Quaternary+Carbon+Stereocentres.">Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Quaternary Carbon Stereocentres.</a> Nature. 516 (7530), 181-191 (2014).</li><li>Knochel, P., Leuser, H., Cong, L. -. Z., Perrone, S., Kneisel, F. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polyfunctional+Zinc+Organometallics+for+Organic+Synthesis.">Polyfunctional Zinc Organometallics for Organic Synthesis.</a> Handbook of Functionalized Organometallics. , 251-346 (2005).</li><li>Dagousset, G., Fran&#231;ois, C., Le&#243;n, T., Blanc, R., Sansiaume-Dagousset, E., Knochel, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Preparation+of+Functionalized+Lithium,+Magnesium,+Aluminum,+Zinc,+Manganese,+and+Indium+Organometallics+From+Functionalized+Organic+Halides.">Preparation of Functionalized Lithium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Zinc, Manganese, and Indium Organometallics From Functionalized Organic Halides.</a> Synthesis. 46 (23), 3133-3171 (2014).</li><li>Kim, J. H., Ko, Y. O., Bouffard, J., Lee, S. -. 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H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Catalytic+Enantioselective+Alkylations+of+Tetrasubstituted+Olefins.+Synthesis+of+All-Carbon+Quaternary+Stereogenic+Centers+Through+Cu-Catalyzed+Asymmetric+Conjugate+Additions+of+Alkylzinc+Reagents+to+Enones.">Catalytic Enantioselective Alkylations of Tetrasubstituted Olefins. Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Stereogenic Centers Through Cu-Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Additions of Alkylzinc Reagents to Enones.</a> Journal of the American Chemical Society. 127 (43), 14988-14989 (2005).</li><li>Lee, K. -. S., Brown, M. K., Hird, A. W., Hoveyda, A. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Practical+Method+for+Enantioselective+Synthesis+of+All-Carbon+Quaternary+Stereogenic+Centers+Through+NHC-Cu-Catalyzed+Conjugate+Additions+of+Alkyl-+and+Arylzinc+Reagents+to+&#946;-Substituted+Cyclic+Enones.">A Practical Method for Enantioselective Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Stereogenic Centers Through NHC-Cu-Catalyzed Conjugate Additions of Alkyl- and Arylzinc Reagents to &#946;-Substituted Cyclic Enones.</a> Journal of the American Chemical Society. 128 (22), 7182-7184 (2006).</li><li>Brown, M. K., May, T. L., Baxter, C. A., Hoveyda, A. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=All-Carbon+Quaternary+Stereogenic+Centers+by+Enantioselective+Cu-Catalyzed+Conjugate+Additions+Promoted+by+a+Chiral+N-Heterocyclic+Carbene.">All-Carbon Quaternary Stereogenic Centers by Enantioselective Cu-Catalyzed Conjugate Additions Promoted by a Chiral N-Heterocyclic Carbene.</a> Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 46 (7), 1097-1100 (2007).</li><li>Knochel, P., Yeh, M. C. P., Berk, S. C., Talbert, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+and+Reactivity+Toward+Acyl+Chlorides+and+Enones+of+the+New+Highly+Functionalized+Copper+Reagents+RCu(CN)ZnI.">Synthesis and Reactivity Toward Acyl Chlorides and Enones of the New Highly Functionalized Copper Reagents RCu(CN)ZnI.</a> The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 53 (10), 2390-2392 (1998).</li><li>Yeh, M. C. P., Knochel, P., Butler, W. M., Berk, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=1,4-Additions+of+the+Highly+Functionalized+Copper+Reagents+RCu(CN)-ZnI&#8226;2+BF3+to+Trisubstituted+Enones.+A+New+BF3+Promoted+Cyclization+Reaction.">1,4-Additions of the Highly Functionalized Copper Reagents RCu(CN)-ZnI&#8226;2 BF3 to Trisubstituted Enones. A New BF3 Promoted Cyclization Reaction.</a> Tetrahedron Letters. 29 (51), 6693-6696 (1988).</li><li>Knochel, P., Chou, T. S., Chen, H. G., Yeh, M. C. P., Rozema, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nucleophilic+Reactivity+of+Zinc+and+Copper+Carbenoids.+Part+II.">Nucleophilic Reactivity of Zinc and Copper Carbenoids. Part II.</a> The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 54 (22), 5202-5204 (1989).</li><li>Tamaru, Y., Tanigawa, H., Yamamoto, T., Yoshida, Z. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Copper(I)-Promoted+Michael-Addition+Reaction+of+Organozincs+of+Esters,+Nitriles,+and+&#945;-Amino+Acids.">Copper(I)-Promoted Michael-Addition Reaction of Organozincs of Esters, Nitriles, and &#945;-Amino Acids.</a> Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 28 (3), 351-353 (1989).</li><li>Fulton, T. J., Alley, P. L., Rensch, H. R., Ackerman, A. M., Berlin, C. B., Krout, M. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Access+to+Functionalized+Quaternary+Stereocenters+via+the+Copper-Catalyzed+Conjugate+Addition+of+Monoorganozinc+Bromide+Reagents+Enabled+by+N,N-Dimethylacetamide.">Access to Functionalized Quaternary Stereocenters via the Copper-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition of Monoorganozinc Bromide Reagents Enabled by N,N-Dimethylacetamide.</a> The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 83 (23), 14723-14732 (2018).</li><li>Krasovskiy, A., Malakhov, V., Gavryushin, A., Knochel, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+Synthesis+of+Functionalized+Organozinc+Compounds+by+the+Direct+Insertion+of+Zinc+into+Organic+Iodides+and+Bromides.">Efficient Synthesis of Functionalized Organozinc Compounds by the Direct Insertion of Zinc into Organic Iodides and Bromides.</a> Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 45 (36), 6040-6044 (2006).</li><li>Huo, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Highly+Efficient,+General+Procedure+for+the+Preparation+of+Alkylzinc+Reagents+from+Unactivated+Alkyl+Bromides+and+Chlorides.">Highly Efficient, General Procedure for the Preparation of Alkylzinc Reagents from Unactivated Alkyl Bromides and Chlorides.</a> Organic Letters. 5 (4), 423-425 (2003).</li><li>Still, W. C., Kahn, M., Mitra, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+Chromatographic+Technique+for+Preparative+Separations+with+Moderate+Resolution.">Rapid Chromatographic Technique for Preparative Separations with Moderate Resolution.</a> The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 43 (14), 2923-2925 (1978).</li><li>Knopff, O., Alexakis, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tandem+Asymmetric+Conjugate+Addition-Silylation+of+Enantiomerically+Enriched+Zinc+Enolates.+Synthetic+Importance+and+Mechanistic+Implications.">Tandem Asymmetric Conjugate Addition-Silylation of Enantiomerically Enriched Zinc Enolates. Synthetic Importance and Mechanistic Implications.</a> Organic Letters. 4 (22), 3835-3837 (2002).</li></ol>

The authors have no competing financial interests.

The method detailed herein was developed to harness mild functionalized monoorganozinc reagents in a simple and efficient conjugate addition reaction for the synthesis of &#946;-quaternary ketones14. Excellent yields and significantly improved catalyst efficiencies were observed through the use of the polar, aprotic solvent DMA with TMSCl. Monoorganozinc formation is aided by DMA, facilitating the direct zinc insertion into readily available alkyl bromides to create a broad scope of functionalized...

The formation of carbon-carbon bonds is arguably the most important and powerful transformation in organic chemistry. The conjugate addition of organometallic reagents to &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls comprises one of the most versatile methods for the construction of C-C bonds, especially in the challenging generation of all-carbon quaternary centers1,2. Despite the central importance of the conjugate addition of organometallic reagents to the formation of quaternary centers, few methodologies address the challenge of incorporating sensitive functional groups in these reactions. Indeed, in the majority of these transformations, highly reactive organolithium, Grignard, or diorganozinc reagents are the nucleophiles of choice. These reactive organometallics, however, are incompatible with many sensitive functional groups, thereby limiting the complexity of both the &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyl and organometallic reagent, often necessitating the use of protecting groups or alternative strategies in multi-step synthesis.
Monoorganozinc reagents are an attractive class of organometallic reagents which have garnered widespread attention for their mild reactivity and enhanced functional group compatibility3,4,5,6. In spite of their exceptional functional group tolerance and trivial preparation from organohalides, there are few examples of monoorganozinc reagents in the conjugate addition to &#160;&#946;,&#946;-disubstituted &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls to generate quaternary centers7,8,9. Furthermore, these transformations typically require stoichiometric quantities of toxic cyanocuprate reagents with one report demonstrating minimal catalyst turnover10,11,12,13. The objective of our study is to establish a simple and practical catalytic method for the conjugate addition of functionalized monoorganozinc reagents to &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls to generate all-carbon quaternary centers. Toward this end, we have developed a protocol utilizing N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) as a solvent with chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCl) as a Lewis acid which enables a &#8220;one-pot&#8221; copper catalyzed (20 mol %) conjugate addition of functionalized monoorganozinc reagents to &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls to generate a broad scope of all-carbon quaternary centers in high yield14.
The utilization of DMA as a solvent has several notable advantages over methods reported in the literature. DMA improves the efficiency of zinc insertion into organohalides which obviates the requirement for expensive and hygroscopic additives such as LiCl employed in ethereal solvent systems15. This also expands the scope of direct zinc insertion from sensitive, often commercially unavailable organoiodides to more stable and widely accessible organobromides16. The protocol detailed herein generates alkyl monoorganozinc reagents (2) from diverse organobromides, which are used in situ in the formation of a reactive cuprate complex that engages cyclic &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated ketones in a conjugate addition reaction (Figure 1). DMA also enables the reaction to proceed with cheaper and less toxic copper sources such as CuBr&#183;DMS, eliminating stoichiometric toxic waste generated with CuCN utilized in other reports10,11,12,13. Our standard reaction conditions provide access to a broad scope of &#946;-quaternary ketones (5) with both five-, six-, and seven-membered ring conjugate acceptors obtained via the hydrolysis of an intermediate silyl enol ether (4). The intermediate silyl enol ether was observed to be moderately stable and could be isolated in excellent yield utilizing a modified workup procedure.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium Chloride</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Biotage Isolera One Flash Chromatography System</td>
			<td>Biotage</td>
			<td>ISO-ISW</td>
			<td>UV/vis detection (254, 280, 200-400nm)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chloroform-D, (D, 99.8%)</td>
			<td>Cambridge Isotope Laboratories</td>
			<td>DLM-7</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Copper (I) bromide dimethyl sulfide complex , 99%</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>230502</td>
			<td>Air and moisture sensitive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Diethyl Ether, anhydrous, 99%</td>
			<td>EMD Chemicals</td>
			<td>MEX01906</td>
			<td>ACS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethyl 4-bromobutyrate</td>
			<td>Oakwood</td>
			<td>139400</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethyl Acetate, 99.9%</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>E145-500</td>
			<td>ACS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glacial Acetic Acid</td>
			<td>Oakwood</td>
			<td>O35907</td>
			<td>ACS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HCl</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1 M aq</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hexanes, 98.5%</td>
			<td>EMD Chemicals</td>
			<td>HX0299</td>
			<td>ACS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HP 6890 Series GC</td>
			<td>HP</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HP-1 GC Column</td>
			<td>Agilent</td>
			<td>19091-60312</td>
			<td>0.2 mm x 0.33 um, 12 m, 7 inch cage</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Iodine</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Magnesium Sulfate, anhydrous, 98%</td>
			<td>EMD Chemicals</td>
			<td>MX0075</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mehtyl enone</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N,N-Dimethylacetamide, anhydrous, 99%</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>A10924</td>
			<td>Dried over 3 &#197;ms</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Silica gel</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>86306-350</td>
			<td>60 &#197;, 40-60 um</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Bicarbonate</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Chloride</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride</td>
			<td>Oakwood</td>
			<td>O43479</td>
			<td>1 M in THF</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thin-layer chromatography plates</td>
			<td>EMD Milipore</td>
			<td>115341</td>
			<td>6.5 x 2.2 cm2, 60 g F254 precoated plates (9.5-11.5 um particle size)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trimethyl silyl chloride, 99%</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>386529</td>
			<td>Air sensitive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zinc</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Powder, HCl-washed</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

efficient synthesis of all-carbon quaternary centers via the conjugate addition of functionalized monoorganozinc bromides

The conjugate addition of organometallic reagents to &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls represents an important method to generate C&#8211;C bonds in the preparation of all-carbon quaternary centers. Though conjugate additions of organometallic reagents are typically performed utilizing highly reactive organolithium or Grignard reagents, organozinc reagents have garnered attention for their enhanced chemoselectivity and mild reactivity. Despite numerous recent advances with more reactive diorganozinc and mixed diorganozinc reagents, the generation of all-carbon quaternary centers via the conjugate addition of functionalized monoorganozinc reagents remains a challenge. This protocol details a convenient and mild &#8220;one-pot&#8221; preparation and copper mediated conjugate addition of functionalized monoorganozinc bromides to cyclic &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls to afford a broad scope of all-carbon quaternary centers in generally excellent yield and diastereoselectivity. Key to the development of this technology is the utilization of DMA as a reaction solvent with TMSCl as a Lewis acid. Notable advantages to this methodology include the operational simplicity of the organozinc reagent preparation afforded by the utilization of DMA as a solvent, as well as an efficient conjugate addition mediated by various Cu(I) and Cu(II) salts. Moreover, an intermediate silyl enol ether can be isolated utilizing a modified workup procedure. The substrate scope is limited to cyclic unsaturated ketones, and the conjugate addition is impeded by stabilized (e.g., allyl, enolate, homoenolate) and sterically encumbered (e.g., neopentyl, o-aryl) monoorganozinc reagents. Conjugate additions to five- and seven-membered rings were effective, albeit in lower yields compared with six-membered ring substrates.

Conjugate addition product ethyl 4-(1-methyl-3-oxocyclohexyl)butanoate (21) was isolated as a clear, colorless oil (1.0372 g, 4.583 mmol, 92% yield) using this efficient one-pot protocol. 1H and 13C NMR spectra are presented in Figure 2 and Figure 3 to confirm the structure and purity. Of specific note in the 1H spectrum analysis is the presence of a two proton AB quartet at &#948...

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Efficient Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via the Conjugate Addition of Functionalized Monoorganozinc Bromides

A simple and practical protocol for the efficient conjugate addition of functionalized monoorganozinc bromides to cyclic &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls to furnish all-carbon quaternary centers was developed.

The conjugate addition of organometallic reagents to &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated carbonyls represents an important method to generate C&#8211;C bonds in the ...

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9.1K Views.  California Institute of Technology. A simple and practical protocol for the efficient conjugate addition of functionalized monoorganozinc bromides to cyclic α,β-unsaturated carbonyls to furnish all-carbon quaternary centers was developed.

Video: Efficient Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via the Conjugate Addition of Functionalized Monoorganozinc Bromides

Microwave-assisted Intramolecular Dehydrogenative Diels-Alder Reactions for the Synthesis of Functionalized Naphthalenes/Solvatochromic Dyes

Functionalized naphthalenes have applications in a variety of research fields ranging from the synthesis of natural or biologically active molecules to the preparation of new organic dyes. Although numerous strategies have been reported to access naphthalene scaffolds, many procedures still present limitations in terms of incorporating functionality, which in turn narrows the range of available substrates. The development of versatile methods for direct access to substituted naphthalenes is therefore highly desirable.
The Diels-Alder (DA) cycloaddition reaction is a powerful and attractive method for the formation of saturated and unsaturated ring systems from readily available starting materials. A new microwave-assisted intramolecular dehydrogenative DA reaction of styrenyl derivatives described herein generates a variety of functionalized cyclopenta[b]naphthalenes that could not be prepared using existing synthetic methods. When compared to conventional heating, microwave irradiation accelerates reaction rates, enhances yields, and limits the formation of undesired byproducts.
The utility of this protocol is further demonstrated by the conversion of a DA cycloadduct into a novel solvatochromic fluorescent dye via a Buchwald-Hartwig palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction. Fluorescence spectroscopy, as an informative and sensitive analytical technique, plays a key role in research fields including environmental science, medicine, pharmacology, and cellular biology. Access to a variety of new organic fluorophores provided by the microwave-assisted dehydrogenative DA reaction allows for further advancement in these fields.

Microwave-assisted intramolecular dehydrogenative Diels-Alder (DA) reactions provide concise access to functionalized cyclopenta[b]naphthalene building blocks. The utility of this methodology is demonstrated by one-step conversion of the dehydrogenative DA cycloadducts into novel solvatochromic fluorescent dyes via Buchwald-Hartwig palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

Functionalized naphthalenes have applications in a variety of research fields ranging from the synthesis of natural or biologically active molecules to ...

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks have attracted extraordinary amounts of research attention, as they are attractive candidates for numerous industrial and technological applications. Their signature property is their ultrahigh porosity, which however imparts a series of challenges when it comes to both constructing them and working with them. Securing desired MOF chemical and physical functionality by linker/node assembly into a highly porous framework of choice can pose difficulties, as less porous and more thermodynamically stable congeners (e.g., other crystalline polymorphs, catenated analogues) are often preferentially obtained by conventional synthesis methods. Once the desired product is obtained, its characterization often requires specialized techniques that address complications potentially arising from, for example, guest-molecule loss or preferential orientation of microcrystallites. Finally, accessing the large voids inside the MOFs for use in applications that involve gases can be problematic, as frameworks may be subject to collapse during removal of solvent molecules (remnants of solvothermal synthesis). In this paper, we describe synthesis and characterization methods routinely utilized in our lab either to solve or circumvent these issues. The methods include solvent-assisted linker exchange, powder X-ray diffraction in capillaries, and materials activation (cavity evacuation) by supercritical CO2 drying. Finally, we provide a protocol for determining a suitable pressure region for applying the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis to nitrogen isotherms, so as to estimate surface area of MOFs with good accuracy.

Synthesis, activation, and characterization of intentionally designed metal-organic framework materials is challenging, especially when building blocks are incompatible or unwanted polymorphs are thermodynamically favored over desired forms. We describe how applications of solvent-assisted linker exchange, powder X-ray diffraction in capillaries and activation via supercritical CO2 drying, can address some of these challenges.

Metal-organic frameworks have attracted extraordinary amounts of research attention, as they are attractive candidates for numerous industrial and ...

Synthetic Methodology for Asymmetric Ferrocene Derived Bio-conjugate Systems via Solid Phase Resin-based Methodology

Early detection is a key to successful treatment of most diseases, and is particularly imperative for the diagnosis and treatment of many types of cancer. The most common techniques utilized are imaging modalities such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Topography (PET), and Computed Topography (CT) and are optimal for understanding the physical structure of the disease but can only be performed once every four to six weeks due to the use of imaging agents and overall cost. With this in mind, the development of &#8220;point of care&#8221; techniques, such as biosensors, which evaluate the stage of disease and/or efficacy of treatment in the clinician&#8217;s office and do so in a timely manner, would revolutionize treatment protocols.1 As a means to exploring ferrocene based biosensors for the detection of biologically relevant molecules2, methods were developed to produce ferrocene-biotin bio-conjugates described herein. This report will focus on a biotin-ferrocene-cysteine system that can be immobilized on a gold surface.

The synthesis of asymmetric species of ferrocene is challenging using solution techniques. This report focuses on the methods carried out to produce a ferrocene-biotin bioconjugate using facile and clean reactions accomplished via solid-phase synthesis. Incorporation of a thiolate moiety is shown to impart the ability for immobilization on gold surfaces.

Early detection is a key to successful treatment of most diseases, and is particularly imperative for the diagnosis and treatment of many types of cancer. ...

Facile and Efficient Preparation of Tri-component Fluorescent Glycopolymers via RAFT-controlled Polymerization

Synthetic glycopolymers are instrumental and versatile tools used in various biochemical and biomedical research fields. An example of a facile and efficient synthesis of well-controlled fluorescent statistical glycopolymers using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT)-based polymerization is demonstrated. The synthesis starts with the preparation of &#946;-galactose-containing glycomonomer 2-lactobionamidoethyl methacrylamide obtained by reaction of lactobionolactone and N-(2-aminoethyl) methacrylamide (AEMA). 2-Gluconamidoethyl methacrylamide (GAEMA) is used as a structural analog lacking a terminal &#946;-galactoside. The following RAFT-mediated copolymerization reaction involves three different monomers: N-(2-hydroxyethyl) acrylamide as spacer, AEMA as target for further fluorescence labeling, and the glycomonomers. Tolerant of aqueous systems, the RAFT agent used in the reaction is (4-cyanopentanoic acid)-4-dithiobenzoate. Low dispersities (&#8804;1.32), predictable copolymer compositions, and high reproducibility of the polymerizations were observed among the products. Fluorescent polymers are obtained by modifying the glycopolymers with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester targeting the primary amine functional groups on AEMA. Lectin-binding specificities of the resulting glycopolymers are verified by testing with corresponding agarose beads coated with specific glycoepitope recognizing lectins. Because of the ease of the synthesis, the tight control of the product compositions and the good reproducibility of the reaction, this protocol can be translated towards preparation of other RAFT-based glycopolymers with specific structures and compositions, as desired.

An efficient, three-step synthesis of RAFT-based fluorescent glycopolymers, consisting of glycomonomer preparation, copolymerization, and post-modification, is demonstrated. This protocol can be used to prepare RAFT-based statistical glycopolymers with desired structures.

Synthetic glycopolymers are instrumental and versatile tools used in various biochemical and biomedical research fields. An example of a facile and ...

Synthesis of Protein Bioconjugates via Cysteine-maleimide Chemistry

The chemical linking or bioconjugation of proteins to fluorescent dyes, drugs, polymers and other proteins has a broad range of applications, such as the development of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and nanomedicine, fluorescent microscopy and systems chemistry. For many of these applications, specificity of the bioconjugation method used is of prime concern. The Michael addition of maleimides with cysteine(s) on the target proteins is highly selective and proceeds rapidly under mild conditions, making it one of the most popular methods for protein bioconjugation.
We demonstrate here the modification of the only surface-accessible cysteine residue on yeast cytochrome c with a ruthenium(II) bisterpyridine maleimide. The protein bioconjugation is verified by gel electrophoresis and purified by aqueous-based fast protein liquid chromatography in 27% yield of isolated protein material. Structural characterization with MALDI-TOF MS and UV-Vis is then used to verify that the bioconjugation is successful. The protocol shown here is easily applicable to other cysteine - maleimide coupling of proteins to other proteins, dyes, drugs or polymers.

Synthesis of Protein Bioconjugates via Cysteine-maleimide Chemistry

This protocol details the important steps required for the bioconjugation of a cysteine containing protein to a maleimide, including reagent purification, reaction conditions, bioconjugate purification and bioconjugate characterization.

The chemical linking or bioconjugation of proteins to fluorescent dyes, drugs, polymers and other proteins has a broad range of applications, such as the ...

Synthesis and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Oligo-peptoids

Peptoids are sequence-controlled peptide-mimicking oligomers consisting of N-alkylated glycine units. Among many potential applications, peptoids have been thought of as a type of molecular information storage. Mass spectrometry analysis has been considered the method of choice for sequencing peptoids. Peptoids can be synthesized via solid phase chemistry using a repeating two-step reaction cycle. Here we present a method to manually synthesize oligo-peptoids and to analyze the sequence of the peptoids using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) techniques. The sample peptoid is a nonamer consisting of alternating N-(2-methyloxyethyl)glycine (Nme) and N-(2-phenylethyl)glycine (Npe), as well as an N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (Nae) at the N-terminus. The sequence formula of the peptoid is Ac-Nae-(Npe-Nme)4-NH2, where Ac is the acetyl group. The synthesis takes place in a commercially available solid-phase reaction vessel. The rink amide resin is used as the solid support to yield the peptoid with an amide group at the C-terminus. The resulting peptoid product is subjected to sequence analysis using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to an electrospray ionization source. The MS/MS measurement produces a spectrum of fragment ions resulting from the dissociation of charged peptoid. The fragment ions are sorted out based on the values of their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). The m/z values of the fragment ions are compared against the nominal masses of theoretically predicted fragment ions, according to the scheme of peptoid fragmentation. The analysis generates a fragmentation pattern of the charged peptoid. The fragmentation pattern is correlated to the monomer sequence of the neutral peptoid. In this regard, MS analysis reads out the sequence information of the peptoids.

A protocol is described for the manual synthesis of oligo-peptoids followed by sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.

Peptoids are sequence-controlled peptide-mimicking oligomers consisting of N-alkylated glycine units. Among many potential applications, peptoids have ...

Synthesis of Substrate-Bound Au Nanowires Via an Active Surface Growth Mechanism

Advancing synthetic capabilities is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The synthesis of nanowires has always been a challenge, as it requires asymmetric growth of symmetric crystals. Here, we report a distinctive synthesis of substrate-bound Au nanowires. This template-free synthesis employs thiolated ligands and substrate adsorption to achieve the continuous asymmetric deposition of Au in solution at ambient conditions. The thiolated ligand prevented the Au deposition on the exposed surface of the seeds, so the Au deposition only occurs at the interface between the Au seeds and the substrate. The side of the newly deposited Au nanowires is immediately covered with the thiolated ligand, while the bottom facing the substrate remains ligand-free and active for the next round of Au deposition. We further demonstrate that this Au nanowire growth can be induced on various substrates, and different thiolated ligands can be used to regulate the surface chemistry of the nanowires. The diameter of the nanowires can also be controlled with mixed ligands, in which another &#34;bad&#34; ligand could turn on the lateral growth. With the understanding of the mechanism, Au nanowire-based nanostructures can be designed and synthesized.

We report a solution-based method to synthesize substrate-bound Au nanowires. By tuning the molecular ligands used during the synthesis, the Au nanowires can be grown from various substrates with different surface properties. Au nanowire-based nanostructures can also be synthesized by adjusting the reaction parameters.

Advancing synthetic capabilities is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The synthesis of nanowires has always been a ...

Regioselective O-Glycosylation of Nucleosides via the Temporary 2',3'-Diol Protection by a Boronic Ester for the Synthesis of Disaccharide Nucleosides

Disaccharide nucleosides, which consist of disaccharide and nucleobase moieties, have been known as a valuable group of natural products having multifarious bioactivities. Although chemical O-glycosylation is a commonly beneficial strategy to synthesize disaccharide nucleosides, the preparation of substrates such as glycosyl donors and acceptors requires&#160;tedious protecting&#160;group manipulations and a purification at each synthetic step. Meanwhile, several research groups have reported that boronic and borinic esters serve as a protecting or activating group of carbohydrate derivatives to achieve the regio- and/or stereoselective acylation, alkylation, silylation, and glycosylation. In this article, we demonstrate the procedure for the regioselective O-glycosylation of unprotected ribonucleosides utilizing boronic acid. The esterification of 2&#39;,3&#39;-diol of ribonucleosides with boronic acid makes the temporary protection of diol, and, following O-glycosylation with a glycosyl donor in the presence of p-toluenesulfenyl chloride and silver triflate, permits the regioselective reaction of the 5&#39;-hydroxyl group to afford the disaccharide nucleosides. This method could be applied to various nucleosides, such as guanosine, adenosine, cytidine, uridine, 5-metyluridine, and 5-fluorouridine. This article and the accompanying video represent&#160;useful (visual) information for the O-glycosylation of unprotected nucleosides and their analogs for the synthesis of not only disaccharide nucleosides, but also a variety of biologically relevant derivatives.

Regioselective O-Glycosylation of Nucleosides via the Temporary 2&#039;,3&#039;-Diol Protection by a Boronic Ester for the Synthesis of Disaccharide Nucleosides

Here, we present protocols for the synthesis of disaccharide nucleosides by the regioselective O-glycosylation of ribonucleosides via a temporary protection of their 2&#39;,3&#39;-diol moieties utilizing a cyclic boronic ester. This method applies to several unprotected nucleosides such as adenosine, guanosine, cytidine, uridine, 5-methyluridine, and 5-fluorouridine to give corresponding disaccharide nucleosides.

Disaccharide nucleosides, which consist of disaccharide and nucleobase moieties, have been known as a valuable group of natural products having ...

Synthesis of Esters Via a Greener Steglich Esterification in Acetonitrile

The Steglich esterification is a widely-used reaction for the synthesis of esters from carboxylic acids and alcohols. While efficient and mild, the reaction is commonly performed using chlorinated or amide solvent systems, which are hazardous to human health and the environment. Our methodology utilizes acetonitrile as a greener and less hazardous solvent system. This protocol exhibits rates and yields that are comparable to traditional solvent systems and employs an extraction and wash sequence that eliminates the need for the purification of the ester product via column chromatography. This general method can be used to couple a variety of carboxylic acids with 1&#176; and 2&#176; aliphatic alcohols, benzylic and allylic alcohols, and phenols to obtain pure esters in high yields. The goal of the protocol detailed here is to provide a greener alternative to a common esterification reaction, which could serve useful for ester synthesis in both academic and industrial applications.

A modified Steglich esterification reaction was used to synthesize a small library of ester derivatives with primary and secondary alcohols. The methodology uses a non-halogenated and greener solvent, acetonitrile, and enables product isolation in high yields without the need for chromatographic purification.

The Steglich esterification is a widely-used reaction for the synthesis of esters from carboxylic acids and alcohols. While efficient and mild, the ...

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

The production of monodisperse cylindrical micelles is a significant challenge in polymer chemistry. Most cylindrical constructs formed from diblock copolymers are produced by one of three techniques: thin film rehydration, solvent switching or polymerization-induced self-assembly, and produce only flexible, polydisperse cylinders. Crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) is a method which can produce cylinders with these properties, by stabilizing structures of a lower curvature due to the formation of a crystalline core. However, the living polymerization techniques by which most core-forming blocks are formed are not trivial processes and the CDSA process may yield unsatisfactory results if carried out incorrectly. Here, the synthesis of cylindrical nanoparticles from simple reagents is shown. The drying and purification of reagents prior to a ring-opening polymerization of &#949;-caprolactone catalyzed by diphenyl phosphate is described. This polymer is then chain extended by methyl methacrylate (MMA) followed by N,N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMA) using reversible addition&#8722;fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization, affording a triblock copolymer that can undergo CDSA in ethanol. The living CDSA process is outlined, the results of which yield cylindrical nanoparticles up to 500 nm in length and a length dispersity as low as 1.05. It is anticipated that these protocols will allow others to produce cylindrical nanostructures and elevate the field of CDSA in the future.

Crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) displays the unique ability to fabricate cylindrical nanostructures of narrow length distributions. The organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerization of &#949;-caprolactone and subsequent chain extensions of methyl methacrylate and N,N-dimethyl acrylamide are demonstrated. A living CDSA protocol that produces monodisperse cylinders up to 500 nm in length is outlined.

The production of monodisperse cylindrical micelles is a significant challenge in polymer chemistry. Most cylindrical constructs formed from diblock ...