title: Efficiency in chemistry: from hydrogen autotransfer to multicomponent catalysis.
abstract: A hydrogen autotransfer reaction has been applied to the α-alkylation of ketones, with primary alcohols as the electrophilic component, either under homogeneous (using a Ru complex as catalyst) or under heterogeneous (using Ni nanoparticles) conditions. This process is both very efficient (concerning atom economy) and ecologically friendly (water as the only by-product generated). On the other hand, three multicomponent reactions, namely, the Strecker reaction (without any catalyst), the aza-Sakurai process (catalyzed by ferrite), and the addition of in situ generated Zn enolates to chiral sulfinylimines (catalyzed by Cu), have proven to be very efficient in the generation of a diversity of polyfunctionalized molecules.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Síntesis Orgánica and Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, Apdo 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain. falonso@ua.es
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foubelo
authors.forename: José C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: González-Gómez
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Diego J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ramón
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riente
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yus
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry; D000478:Alkylation; D002384:Catalysis; D002625:Chemistry, Organic / Q000379:methods*; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D007659:Ketones / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D007659:Ketones; D012428:Ruthenium; D006859:Hydrogen; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide