The first is an interesting Nazarov cyclization followed by a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement reported by Alison Frontier. Depending on the substitution, the path of the Nazarov is altered and the reaction is terminated by either a hydride shift or an aryl shift. Interesting paper well worth reading the details.
Jie Huang and Alison J. Frontier, JACS DOI: 10.1021/ja0716148
Mukund Sibi reported a novel organocatalytic method for the conjugate addition of hydroxylamines. The catalyst provides for both hydrogen bonding activation of the substrate and hydrogen bond-directivity for the incoming nucleophile.
Mukund P. Sibi and Kennosuke Itoh, JACS DOI: 10.1021/ja071739c
