Recent advances in the Mitsunobu reaction: Modified reagents and the quest for chromatography-free separation

Recent progress in synthetic approaches to the Mitsunobu reaction are reviewed. Efforts that have focused on the phase-switching modifications of phosphane, azodicarboxylate, and nucleophilic components are emphasized. An approach to product separation with fluorous compounds is reviewed in detail. Alternative reagents and recently introduced products are cited. (C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004.