Nitroaliphatic Compounds - Ideal Intermediates in Organic Synthesis?

Abstract

Because of improved methods for the conversion of nitroali-phatics into amines, alcohols, and carbonyl compounds, carbon-carbon bond forming processes involving this class of substrate are of increasing importance. This article reviews the work of ourselves and others, and demonstrates that nitroaliphatic compounds can show either electrophilic or nucleophilic reactivity at the α-, β-, γ-, and δ-positions.