inherent double controlled strategy of sterically hindered propargyl alcohols without the installing of external directing groups. Its synthetic robustness and practicality have been illustrated by the concise synthesis of bervastatin, a hypolipidemic drug, and late‐stage modification of complex alkynes with precise regioselectivity.
The efficient addition of terminal alkynes to aldehydes or ketones to give propargyl alcohols in yields of 66-96 % can be achieved by activation with catalytic amounts of CsOH⋅H2 O [Eq. (a)]. A CsOH-catalyzed addition of acetonitrile derivatives to terminal alkynes is also possible.