This chapter is an update to the earlier Science of Synthesis contribution describing the synthesis of propargylic bromides. The focus in this update is on synthesis by substitution of propargylic alcohols and protected derivatives thereof.

This chapter is an update to the earlier Science of Synthesis review (Section 31.5.1.2), published in 2007, describing the synthesis of monohydric phenols by elimination approaches. It focuses on recent, palladium-catalyzed arylation/aromatization methods as well as the nickel-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of diaryl ethers.

This chapter is an update to the earlier Science of Synthesis review (Section 31.5.1.4) describing the functionalization of monohydric phenols. It focuses on the literature published in the period 2007–2016, with a particular emphasis on metal-catalyzed alkylation methods as well as trifluoromethylsulfanylation approaches.

This chapter is an update to Science of Synthesis Section 32.2, covering the synthesis of allenes bearing one heteroatom substituent on the cumulated diene core. It covers the literature from 2008 to 2016. Many routes to these allenes start from alkynes, enynes, or propargylic systems and the syntheses proceed through substitution/rearrangement, but reactions involving the modification of an existing allene core are also included. In recent years, the synthesis of enantiomerically pure allenes has been of particular interest.

This chapter is an update to the earlier Science of Synthesis review (Section 24.4.3) describing the synthesis of 1-(organochalcogeno)alk-1-ynes, where the chalcogen is sulfur, selenium, or tellurium. It covers the literature from the period 2005–2016. Many of the approaches to these molecules involve reaction of an acetylide with a suitable chalcogen source, but other methods include the formation of the C≡C bond by elimination, the reaction of a chalcogenide species with alkynes bearing a leaving group at the alkyne terminus, and various types of coupling reactions. Also covered in this update are the recent applications of the title compounds. The wide range of reactions reported shows the importance of these molecules as building blocks and key intermediates in organic synthesis.