Removable Directing Groups in Organic Synthesis and Catalysis

Directing groups have been widely used in recent years to achieve control over all aspects of reaction selectivity in a wide range of transformations involving transition-metal catalysis and organometallic reagents. In cases when the existing functional group within a substrate is unsuited to achieve efficient intramolecular delivery of a reagent or catalyst, the specific introduction of an appropriately designed removable reagent-directing group can be a solution to this problem. In this Review we give an overview of the state of the art in this area, including the stoichiometric and catalytic use of directing groups. Controlling the outcome: Directing groups have been widely used in recent years to control chemical reactions. In cases when the existing functional group within a substrate is unsuited to achieve an efficient intramolecular reagent/catalyst delivery, the specific introduction of an appropriately designed removable reagent-directing group can be used to address this problem (see scheme). Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.