Abstract

Over the last few decades, the catalytic asymmetric Friedel-Crafts alkylation has become a powerful strategy that provides enantioenriched structural motifs of established value in medicinal chemistry or complex target synthesis. While the traditionally chiral Lewis-acid catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation has been extensively reviewed in the literature, we focused this review on the recent advances on organocatalytic Friedel-Crafts alkylations. According to activation modes, this review is divided into three main sections, including 1) alkylations via iminium catalysis, 2) alkylations via SOMO catalysis, and 3) alkylations by chiral hydrogen-bond donors.

Keywords: Organocatalysis, Friedel-Crafts alkylation, iminium catalysis, SOMO catalysis, hydrogen-bonding catalysis, Enantioselective, chiral amine catalysts, organometallic/bioorganic methods, carbon-carbon, carbon-heteroatom, α β-unsaturated aldehydes, organic synthesis, Alkylation with Enals, covalent, alkylation chemistry