Abstract : Since the first report by Evans in asymmetric Friedel‐Crafts reactions, the use of acyl‐imidazoles has blossomed as powerful ester/amide surrogates. The imidazole scaffold indeed displays stability and special activation features allowing both better reactivity and selectivity in traditional ester/amide functionalizations: α‐(enolate chemistry), β‐(conjugate additions), α,β‐(cycloadditions) or γ/δ‐(vinylogous). An overview of the contemporary and growing interest in acyl‐imidazoles in metal‐ and organo‐catalyzed transformations (bio‐hybrid catalytic systems will be fully described in a back‐to‐back Minireview) will be highlighted. Moreover, post‐functionalization expediencies are also going to be discussed in this Minireview.
J. Lauberteaux, D. Pichon, O. Baslé, M. Mauduit, R. Marcia de Figueiredo, et al.. Acyl-Imidazoles A Privileged Ester Surrogate for Enantioselective Synthesis. ChemCatChem, Wiley, 2019, 11 (23), pp.5705-5722. ⟨10.1002/cctc.201900754⟩. ⟨hal-02181832⟩