Hydrogen-borrowing catalysis represents ap owerful method for the alkylation of amineo re nolate nucleophiles with non-activated alcohols. This approach relies upon ac atalystt hat can mediateastrategic series of redox events, enabling the formation of CÀCa nd CÀNb onds and producing water as the sole by-product. In the majority of cases these reactions have been employed to target achiral or racemic products.I nc ontrast, the focus of this Minireview is upon hydrogen-borrowing-catalysed reactions in which the absolute stereochemical outcome of the process can be controlled. Asymmetric hydrogen-borrowing catalysis is rapidly emerging as ap owerful approach for the synthesis of enantioenricheda mine and carbonyl containing products and examples involving both CÀNa nd CÀCb ond formation are presented. Av ariety of different approaches are discussed including use of chiral auxiliaries, asymmetric catalysis and enantiospecific processes. Scheme1.Contrasting classical alkylation of amines and enolates with hydrogen-borrowing catalysis.

Arachidonic acid derivatives equipped with either one or two fluorescent groups attached to the tip of the alkyl chains were synthesized and shown to function as inhibitor and substrate probes of cPLA. The inhibitor probe was demonstrated to perform dual functions of inhibition and imaging while the substrate probe could be used for activity assay.

Carboxylic acids are common intermediates within pharmaceutical synthesis, and alternative methods for their reduction to the corresponding alcohols are of interest. A recent report from Ramachandran and co-workers (Org. Lett.

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