Chiral Allenylzinc and Indium Reagents for Asymmetric Propargylation

Significance

This article describes the further developments of the elegant and synthetically useful methodology designed earlier by the same group, which allows the enantioselective addition of a chiral C-4 synthon to an aldehyde. The authors designed a robust, practical synthesis of the required chiral precursor and described some new applications of their method. This protocol is an excellent alternative to the anti-aldol reaction, which should find a broad application in synthesis of natural products, especially polyketides.