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Preface

When I was a kid, I dreamt to be an engineer and build planes, cars, etc. However, in high school, I felt in love with Organic Chemistry. I changed my dreams of building things for how to assemble C, H, N, and other atoms to form molecules. I was always astonished of the inherent difficulty of organic structures, not only for their diversity and ordered assembly but also for their 3D shape. With time, I enjoyed learning Organic Chemistry: starting from my bachelor in organic chemistry, followed by a PhD in organometallic chemistry, and several postdocs in organometallic chemistry and organocatalysis. Later on, as academic, I have always tried to develop new reactions that can allow to obtain difficult structures in an enantiopure form. However, one of the greatest challenges that I faced has been the synthesis of spiro compounds. My own way to be interested in the synthesis of spiro compounds first started in the synthesis of quaternary carbons in an enantiopure fashion. Precisely, while studying how to synthesize quaternary carbons, I developed an interest in spiro compounds, how difficult it will be to join two cycles by a single atom, and do it enantioselectively. In my research group, we have been lucky enough to develop several reactions that led to spiro compounds in an enantiopure form (or almost enantiopure), but I still remember the first time that we got a spiro compound in an enantiopure form as an incredible feeling of achievement. Now, several years later, I decided to honor this type of compounds by editing a book, summarizing the achievements that Organic Chemists have been done in the last decades.

I also want to dedicate this book to Professor Dieter Enders who left us during the writing of this book. He was always a source of inspiration, since his early success with RAMP and SAMP chemistry, until the development of highly complex domino reactions, showing a commitment and brilliance to organic chemistry that inspired me in my career. I still remember his kind hospitality in The Domino cat symposium in Aachen. Professor Enders, you left a huge footprint in organic and synthetic chemistry.

Finally, I want to thanks all the authors for their work and commitment in those difficult COVID times.