Junfeng Yang, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, PR China

Short biography: 

Junfeng Yang received his B.S. degree from Zhengzhou University and obtained his Ph.D. in 2014 from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Following his doctoral studies, he conducted postdoctoral research in the group of Prof. Naohiko Yoshikai at NTU from 2014 to 2018. He joined the Department of Chemistry at Fudan University in 2019, where he currently serves as associate professor. Dr. Yang is a recipient of the National “Ten Thousand Talents Program” for Young Top-Notch Talents and has published over 40 scientific publications.

Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Three-Component Coupling of N‑Sulfonylhydrazones

Junfeng Yang

Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, China

e-mail: jfyang@fudan.edu.cn

Keywords:Pd, carbene, N‑Sulfonylhydrazones, Sadphos

In recent years, the selective transformation of N-tosylhydrazones into functionalized molecular scaffolds has attracted significant attention; however, achieving enantiocontrol in these reactions remains a formidable challenge. By designing specialized sulfinamide–phosphine ('Sadphos') ligands, we have successfully harnessed the high reactivity of palladium carbenes, converting them into powerful tools for the precise construction of congested chiral centers via a modular enantioselective assembly strategy. This approach has enabled the development of a series of multicomponent reactions (MCRs) utilizing metal carbene intermediates.[1] Furthermore, DFT-based mechanistic investigations suggest that the enantio-determining step involves a concerted carbene formation and migratory insertion process, facilitated by the pronounced structural adaptability and flexible coordination behavior of the Sadphos ligands.

References

[1] (a) Zhao, G.; Wu, Y.; Wu, H.-H.; Yang, J.*; Zhang, J. *, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 17983. (b) Yang, B.; Cao, K.; Zhao, G.; Yang, J.*; Zhang, J. *, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 15468. (c) Zhu, S.; Xiao, B.; Huang, M.; Wu, Y.; Sun, T.-Y.; Yang, J.*; Wu, Y.-D.; Zhang, J., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025. ASAP. (d) Xiao, B.; Sun, T.-Y.; Zhang, J.; Wu, Y.-D., Sci China Chem 2023, 66, 2817-2827.