Tunable enantioselective electrocatalytic functionalization of unactivated alkenes

The tunable enantioselective functionalization of alkene feedstocks represents a highly desirable yet predominantly unresolved tactic for generating high-value scaffolds. Herein, we report a tunable enantioselective electrolytic system for dehydrogenative allylation, dehydrogenative alkenylation, and hydroalkylation reactions with identical substrates to afford structurally diverse products. This success hinges on the rational design of the stereoselective coupling of an electrogenerated nickel-bound α-carbonyl radical species that can trap unactivated alkenes and engage in various subsequent radical termination processes to enable the intermolecular functionalization of unactivated alkenes. The mild reaction conditions and sustainable electrocatalytic radical platform guarantee excellent functional group tolerance and substrate compatibility with unactivated alkenes (63 examples, up to 98% e.e.), and the process evolves H₂ without the need for external chemical oxidants. The utility of this enantioselective electrolytic strategy is demonstrated by its application in the stereoselective formal synthesis of (S)-SYK inhibitor, signifying substantial progress in synthetic methods.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-01-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-68123-3
Primary Topic
Radical Photochemical Reactions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Tunable enantioselective electrocatalytic functionalization of unactivated alkenes

Lingzi Peng, Chang Guo, Tian Xie, Minghao Liu et al.
Nature Communications
Radical Photochemical Reactions
article

Tunable enantioselective electrocatalytic functionalization of unactivated alkenes

Lingzi Peng, Chang Guo, Tian Xie, Minghao Liu, Jiayin Zhang
article en

Abstract

The tunable enantioselective functionalization of alkene feedstocks represents a highly desirable yet predominantly unresolved tactic for generating high-value scaffolds. Herein, we report a tunable enantioselective electrolytic system for dehydrogenative allylation, dehydrogenative alkenylation, and hydroalkylation reactions with identical substrates to afford structurally diverse products. This success hinges on the rational design of the stereoselective coupling of an electrogenerated nickel-bound α-carbonyl radical species that can trap unactivated alkenes and engage in various subsequent radical termination processes to enable the intermolecular functionalization of unactivated alkenes. The mild reaction conditions and sustainable electrocatalytic radical platform guarantee excellent functional group tolerance and substrate compatibility with unactivated alkenes (63 examples, up to 98% e.e.), and the process evolves H₂ without the need for external chemical oxidants. The utility of this enantioselective electrolytic strategy is demonstrated by its application in the stereoselective formal synthesis of (S)-SYK inhibitor, signifying substantial progress in synthetic methods.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
University of Science and Technology of China (CN), Hefei National Center for Physical Sciences at Nanoscale (CN), Nanjing University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Nanjing University, University of Science and Technology of China, State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 99%
Radical Photochemical Reactions
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Tunable enantioselective electrocatalytic functionalization of unactivated alkenes — Lingzi Peng, Chang Guo, et al. · Nature Communications (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS