Enantioselective organocatalytic activation of vinylidene-quinone methides (VQMs)

Vinylidene-quinone methides (VQMs) are highly electrophilic chiral reagents that can be generated in situ from 2-(phenylethynyl)phenols. They were characterized for the first time in 2012 but their enantioselective organocatalytic activation was addressed only very recently. Their specific reactivity has revealed innovative strategies notably for the control of axial chirality.