Publications

Stereoselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Amides Enabled by Intramolecular Acyl Transfer

Jack Wootton, Natalie J. Roper, Catrin E. Morris, Victoria E. Maguire, Lee Duff, Paul G. Waddell, Adrian C. Whitwood, Richard Gammons, Afjal H Miah, Jason M. Lynam, Roly J. Armstrong,* William P. Unsworth*

Chem. Sci. 2025, ASAP (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/sc/d4sc05760k)


A Stereodivergent Multicomponent Approach for the Synthesis of C–N Atropisomeric Peptide Analogues

Natalie J. Roper, Aaron D. G. Campbell, Paul G. Waddell, Alistair K. Brown, Kristaps Ermanis,* Roly J. Armstrong*

Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 16743. (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/sc/d4sc04700a)


Synthesis, Structure and Stereodynamics of Atropisomeric N-Chloroamides

Aaron D. G. Campbell, Natalie J. Roper, Paul G. Waddell, Corinne Wills, Casey M. Dixon, Ross M. Denton, Kristaps Ermanis,* Roly J. Armstrong*

Chem. Commun. 2023, 60, 3818 (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/cc/d4cc00268g)


Interrogating the Configurational Stability of Atropisomers

Jean-Paul Heeb, Jonathan Clayden,* Martin D. Smith,* Roly J. Armstrong*

Nature Protocols, 2023, 18, 2745 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41596-023-00859-y)


Redox Reorganization: Aluminium Promoted 1,5-Hydride Shifts Allow the Controlled Synthesis of Multisubstituted Cyclohexenes

Lewis B. Smith, Roly J. Armstrong, Jingyan Hou, Edward Smith, Ming Sze, Alistair J. Sterling, Alex Smith, Fernanda Duarte,* Timothy J. Donohoe*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202307424 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202307424)


Synthetic Strategies to Control C–N Atropisomerism in Acyclic Amines and Amides

Aaron D. G. Campbell, Roly J. Armstrong*

Synthesis 2023, 55, 2427 (DOI: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/a-2039-5424)


Pentamethylphenyl (Ph*) ketones: Unique building blocks for organic synthesis

Roly J. Armstrong,* Timothy J. Donohoe*

Tetrahedron Lett. 2021, 74, 153151 (DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2021.153151)


Control of Absolute Stereochemistry in Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Hydrogen Borrowing Reactions

Timothy Kwok, Oskar Hoff, Roly J. Armstrong,* Timothy J. Donohoe*

Chem. Eur. J. 2020, 26, 12912 (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202001253)


Enantioconvergent Alkylation of Ketones with Racemic Secondary Alcohols via Hydrogen Borrowing Catalysis

Daniella M. J. Cheang, Roly J. Armstrong, Wasim M. Akhtar, Timothy J. Donohoe*

Chem. Commun. 2020, 56, 3543 (DOI: 10.1039/D0CC00767F)


Chemo- and Regioselective Synthesis of Acyl-Cyclohexenes by a Tandem Acceptorless Dehydrogenation-[1,5]-Hydride Shift Cascade

Lewis B. Smith, Roly J. Armstrong, Daniel Matheau-Raven, Timothy J. Donohoe*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 2514 (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b12296)


A Hydrogen Borrowing Annulation Strategy for the Stereocontrolled Synthesis of Saturated Aza-Heterocycles

Anna E. R. Chamberlain, Kieran J. Paterson, Roly J. Armstrong, Heather C. Twin, Timothy J. Donohoe*

Chem. Commun. 2020, 56, 3563 (DOI: 10.1039/D0CC00903B)


Synthesis of Allenes by 1,2-Elimination

Roly J. Armstrong*

Curr. Org. Chem. 2019, 23, 3027 (DOI: 10.2174/1385272823666191121122011)


Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Cyclohexanes by Hydrogen Borrowing Annulations

Roly J. Armstrong, Wasim M. Akhtar, Tom A. Young, Fernanda Duarte,* Timothy J. Donohoe*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 12558 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201907514)


Stereoselective Synthesis of Alicyclic Ketones: a Hydrogen Borrowing Approach

Roly J. Armstrong, Wasim M. Akhtar, James R. Frost, Neil G. Stevenson, Timothy J. Donohoe*

Tetrahedron 2019, 75, 130680 (DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2019.130680)


Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclohexanes via an Iridium Catalyzed (5 + 1) Annulation Strategy,

Wasim M. Akhtar, Roly J. Armstrong, James R. Frost, Neil G. Stevenson, Timothy J. Donohoe*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 11916 (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b07776)


Enantiodivergent Synthesis of Allenes by Point to Axial Chirality Transfer

Roly J. Armstrong, Meganathan Nandakumar, Rafael M. P. Dias, Adam Noble, Eddie L. Myers, Varinder K. Aggarwal*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 8203 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201804446)


50 Years of Zweifel Olefination: a Transition-Metal-Free Coupling

Roly J. Armstrong, Varinder K. Aggarwal*

Synthesis 2017, 49, 3323 (DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1589046)


Stereodivergent Olefination of Enantioenriched Boronic Esters

Roly J. Armstrong, Cristina García-Ruiz, Eddie L. Myers, Varinder K. Aggarwal*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 786 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201610387)


Conjunctive Functionalization of Vinyl Boronate Complexes with Electrophiles: A Diastereoselective Three-Component Coupling

Roly J. Armstrong, Christopher Sandford, Cristina García-Ruiz, Varinder K. Aggarwal*

Chem. Commun. 2017, 53, 4922 (DOI: 10.1039/C7CC01671A)


Synthesis of Functionalized Alkenes by a Transition-Metal-Free Zweifel Coupling

Roly J. Armstrong, Worawat Niwetmarin, Varinder K. Aggarwal*

Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 2762 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.7b01124)


Homologation of Boronic Esters with Lithiated Epoxides

Roly J. Armstrong, Varinder K. Aggarwal*

Org. Synth. 2017, 94, 234 (DOI: 10.15227/orgsyn.094.0234)


Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Biaryls by a Cation-Directed O-Alkylation

John. D. Jolliffe, Roly. J. Armstrong, Martin. D. Smith*

Nat. Chem. 2017, 9, 558 (DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2710)


Cation-Directed Enantioselective N-Functionalization of Pyrroles

Roly J. Armstrong, Melissa D’Ascenzio, Martin D. Smith*

Synlett 2016, 27, 6 (DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1560813)


Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Biaryls: A Cation Directed Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction

Roly J. Armstrong, Martin D. Smith*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 12822 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201408205)


Furanyl Cyclic Amines: a Diastereoselective Synthesis of 2,6-Syn-Disubstituted Piperidines Under Thermodynamic Control

Matthew O’Brien,* Andrew Leach, Roly J. Armstrong, Keting Chong, Ross Sheridan

Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 2392 (DOI: 10.1039/C2OB07008A)