Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Organic chemistry

Radical catalysis

The domination of metals in catalysis is under threat as organic catalysts gain ground. The latest example may expand chemical reactivity beyond the achievements of traditional metal complexes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: A radical mode of organocatalysis.

References

  1. Beeson, T. D., Mastracchio, A., Hong, J.-B., Ashton, K. & MacMillan, D. W. C. Science 316, 582–585 (2007).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jacobsen, E. N., Pfaltz, A. & Yamamoto, H. (eds) Comprehensive Asymmetric Catalysis Vols I–III (Springer, Heidelberg, 1999).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Berkessel, A. & Gröger, H. Asymmetric Organocatalysis: From Biomimetic Concepts to Applications in Asymmetric Synthesis (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2005).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Dalko, P. I. (ed.) Enantioselective Organocatalysis: Reactions and Experimental Procedures (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2007).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Knoevenagel, E. Chem. Ber. 31, 2596–2619 (1898).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. List, B., Lerner, R. A. & Barbas, C. F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 2395–2396 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ahrendt, K. A., Borths, C. J. & MacMillan, D. W. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 4243–4244 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. List, B. Chem. Commun. 819–824 (2006).

  9. Enders, D., Grondal, C. & Hüttl, M. R. M. Angew. Chem. Int. Edn 46, 1570–1581 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bauer, A., Westkä mper, F., Grimme, S. & Bach, T. Nature 436, 1139–1140 (2005).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Narasaka, K., Okauchi, T., Tanaka, K. & Murakami, M. Chem. Lett. 2099–2102 (1992).

  12. Trost, B. M. & Crawley, M. L. Chem. Rev. 103, 2921–2944 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sibi, M. P. & Hasegawa, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 4124–4125 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mukherjee, S., List, B. Radical catalysis. Nature 447, 152–153 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/447152a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/447152a

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing