A short and highly stereoselective chiral pool synthesis of tetrahydro-3-benzazepines as potential drug molecules is described, using simple enantiopure amino acids as the chiral building blocks. Intramolecular Friedel–Crafts alkylation towards seven-membered rings was achieved with high diastereoselectivity for the first time and accomplished by a biocompatible calcium catalyst. The simple and cost efficient approach allows for the variation of all substituents in the 3-benzazepine by a change of the substitution pattern in one or more of the reagents, while leaving the general synthetic route unchanged. Furthermore, assignment of the absolute configuration of the 3-benzazepine derivative is straightforward, based on the amino acid building block employed.

A formal intermolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition reaction of enynes to aldehydes is presented, which can be realized in the presence of a simple and benign calcium catalyst. The reaction proceeds with excellent chemo, regio- and diastereoselectivity and leads to a one-step assembly of highly interesting bicyclic building blocks containing up to three stereocenters from simple precursors via a new type of skeletal rearrangement of enynes. The observed diastereoselectivity is accounted for by two different mechanistic proposals. The first one engages mechanistic prospects arising from a gold catalyzed reaction in the absence of the stabilizing gold substituent. The second proposal involves an unprecedented cyclization–carbonyl allene ene reaction–hydroalkoxylation cascade.

The first transition-metal-free carboarylation of alkynes with commercial and readily available alcohols as alkylating agents was realized in the presence of an environmentally benign calcium catalyst. Thereby, a novel protocol for the one-step synthesis of highly congested, all-carbon tetrasubstituted alkenes, as incorporated in potentially bioactive, complex dihydronaphthalene, chromene and dihydroquinoline structures, is provided. The reaction features an unprecedented, particularly wide substrate scope, good functional-group tolerance and simple experimental operation under mild reaction conditions.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Meike Niggemann at the RWTH Aachen University. The image depicts a calcium catalyst brewing a magic potion—a carefully balanced choice of ingredients results in a new one-pot procedure for the carboarylation of internal alkynes. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201406503.

The first transition metal-free cycloisomerization of easily accessible diynols is presented as a novel approach to bicyclic 2H-pyrans. As a one-step protocol, the reaction proceeds in a single reaction cascade by intertwining mechanistic fragments borrowed from transition metal-catalyzed Claisen rearrangment of vinyl ethers with our own work on allenyl/propargyl cation rearrangements and a 6π-oxo-electrocylization. It is enabled by a new cooperative catalytic system that combines a simple Ca²⁺ catalyst with camphorsulfonic acid.

Recently, Lewis acidic calcium salts bearing weakly coordinating anions such as Ca(NTf₂)₂, Ca(OTf)₂, CaF₂ and Ca[OCH(CF₃)₂]₂ have been discovered as catalysts for the transformation of alcohols, olefins and carbonyl compounds. High stability towards air and moisture, selectivity and high reactivity under mild reaction conditions render these catalysts a sustainable and mild alternative to transition metals, rare-earth metals or strong Brønsted acids.

A calcium-catalyzed direct reduction of propargylic alcohols and ethers has been accomplished by using triethylsilane as a nucleophilic hydride source. At room temperature a variety of secondary propargylic alcohols was deoxygenated to the corresponding hydrocarbons in excellent yields. Furthermore, for the first time, a catalytic deoxygenation of tertiary propargylic alcohols was generally applicable. The same protocol was suitable for an efficient reduction of secondary as well as tertiary propargylic methyl, benzyl and allyl ethers. Substrates containing an additional keto-, ester or secondary hydroxyl function were reduced with exceptional chemoselectivity at the propargylic position.

A calcium-catalyzed direct amination of π-activated alcohols with different nitrogen nucleophiles under very mild reaction conditions is presented. The high reactivity of the calcium catalyst allows for an efficient conversion of secondary and tertiary benzylic and allylic as well as tertiary propargylic alcohols. Nitrogen nucleophiles such as carbamates, tosylamides and anilines are readily alkylated at room temperature.

A calcium-catalyzed direct substitution of π-activated alcohols with different organosilanes under very mild reaction conditions is presented. The high reactivity of the calcium catalyst allows efficient conversion of secondary and tertiary allylic, secondary benzylic, and tertiary propargylic alcohols with allyltrimethylsilane at room temperature. Furthermore, the first direct substitution of an alcohol with (E)- as well as (Z)-alkenylsilanes was achieved under mild reaction conditions.