Enantioselective Synthesis of Alkyl Azaarenes

This Minireview covers reports on the enantioselective synthesis of alkyl azaarenes since 2014. It deals with the latest achievements on the reactivity of alkyl azaarenes aiming at the preparation of more complex azaarenes containing chiral centers. They rely on the activating properties of the nitrogen atom when opportunely coordinated with a metal complex or Bronsted acid and possibly containing chiral ligands. In addition, conveniently located electron-withdrawing activating functional groups help increase the reactivity of the azaarenes. The same concepts operate in the case of vinyl azaarenes.