This is the first article of a synergistic collaboration between Southampton and Zaragoza, as well as the catalysis involved on it. The work has been developed in Dr. Ramon Rios’s lab at the University of Southampton, in collaboration with Prof. M. Concepción Gimeno and Dr. Raquel P. Herrera. This article is part of a Special issue dedicated to Prof. Dieter Enders. Congratulations!

Synergistic Catalysis: Asymmetric Synthesis of Cyclopentanes Bearing Four Stereogenic Centers. Zhang, K.; Meazza, M.; Izaga, A.; Contamine, C.; Gimeno, M. C.; Herrera, R. P.; Rios, R. Synthesis, 2017, 49, 167–174.

Abstract. We present a formal [3+2] cycloaddition based on synergistic catalysis. Vinylcyclopropanes derived from cyanoesters react with enals by dual activation using palladium(0) and secondary amines to form the corresponding cyclopentanes in good yields and stereoselectivities.

Key words. synergistic catalysis – organocatalysis – cyclopentanes – asymmetric synthesis – cycloaddition.