Enantioselective synthesis of synthetically significant (a-hydroxyallyl)silanes,( a-hydroxyaryl)silanes, and (ahydroxyalkyl)silanes is reported. The presentc opper-catalyzed 1,2-selective hydroborylation of acylsilanes affords the aforementioned products in high yields and with high enantiomeric excesses.T his robusta nd scalablea dditivefree catalytic system relies on the use of low copper(II) acetatea nd diphosphine ligandl oadings at room temperature in the presenceo facommercially availablea nd bench-stable hydride source.Scheme1.Copper-catalyzed syntheses of a-hydroxysilanes.

Preimplantation diagnosis (PID) offers couples at high risk of having offspring affected with a genetic disorder the possibility of an early prenatal diagnosis. For many couples this approach will give the opportunity to avoid a selective termination of affected pregnancies. Substantial advances were made in PID since the report, in 1990, of the first birth obtained after PID. Yet, many technical hazards have to be solved for PID to become a standard clinical tool. The very close correlation existing between the forthcoming developments in the fields of PID and human genome mapping will improve the reliability and efficiency of genetic diagnosis. In the near future, the procedure may also become easier and safer. As a consequence, the indications for PID could be extended to other genetic defects, such as multifactorial diseases. They could also be extended to cases with no medical background, such as social gender selection or behavioural traits. In this perspective, it is now time for both the medical and scientific communities to identify the ethical issues related to these potential new indications.

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Vinylsilanes are versatile and efficient nucleophiles in cross-coupling reactions. Herein is described the use of tetrabutylammonium bifluoride as a mild, cheap and scalable activating agent in several copper-catalyzed vinylsilane cross-couplings.

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