Enantioselective nickel‐catalyzed arylative cyclizations of substrates containing a Z‐allylic phosphate tethered to an alkyne are described. These reactions give multisubstituted chiral aza‐ and carbocycles, and are initiated by the addition of an arylboronic acid to the alkyne, followed by cyclization of the resulting alkenylnickel species onto the allylic phosphate. The reversible E/Z isomerization of the alkenylnickel species is essential for the success of the reactions.

Efficient ring closure of stable crystalline 3,5-di-O-triflates of pentofuranosides with amines to form azetidines allowed preliminary evaluation of four-ring iminosugars as glycosidase inhibitors; significant and specific inhibition of nonmammalian α-glucosidases is shown by L-xylo- and L-arabino-iminosugar azetidines.

Primary amines with either 3,5-di-O-ditriflates of α-furanosides or 2,4-di-O-triflates of β-pyranosides form bicyclic azetidines in high yield.