Carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions of α-carbonyl carbocations: exploration of a reversed-polarity equivalent of enolate chemistry

Carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions of putative α-carbonyl carbocation intermediates generated by Lewis acid- or silver-promoted ionizations of toluenesulfonate or halide leaving groups are described. This under-exploited mode of reactivity represents an 'umpolung' of conventional enolate chemistry, and enables C-C bond construction in both intra- and intermolecular contexts. Attempts to develop diastereoselective variants of this process using chiral ester and oxazolidinone-based auxiliaries are discussed.