"In organic synthesis, the carbonyl group is intimately involved in many reactions that create new carbon-carbon bonds. The carbonyl group is electrophilic at the carbon atom and hence is susceptible to attack by nucleophilic reagents. Thus, the carbonyl group reacts as a formyl cation or as an acyl cation. A reversal of the positive polarity of the carbonyl group so it acts as a forrnyl or acyl anion would be synthetically very attractive. To achieve this, the carbonyl group is converted to a derivative whose carbon atom has the negative polarity. After its reaction with an electrophilic reagent, the carbonyl is regenerated. Reversal of polarity of a carbonyl group has been explored and systematized by Seebach."
January 1, 1970