ABSTRACT
The literature abounds with examples of pericyclic (and pericyclic-type*) reactions that have been used to synthesize a broad range of target molecules, including natural products [1-3]. Although few of these reactions have been scaled up outside of the laboratory, their potential to provide a complex target molecule with a minimal number of transformations is unparalleled in the organic chemist’s repertoire. For example, in the Diels-Alder reaction, up to six stereogenic centers can be controlled in a single reaction [4]. Recent progress, especially with regard to asymmetric catalysts, should encourage the use of these reactions at scale.
