Science of Synthesis Knowledge Updates 2020

Thirtyfour contributions have been published in 2020. These comprise:

An update on the synthesis of α-silyl alcohols, ethers, and amines (Q.-W. Zhang, K. An, and W. He), with many new transition-metal-catalyzed methods described.
An update on allenylsilanes (N. Krause and N. Arisetti), covering both new and improved methods, including diastereoselective and enantioselective approaches.
A completely revised chapter on metalated germanium compounds (C. Marschner), with a focus on the preparation of germyllithium and germylpotassium compounds.
An update on the synthesis of germylamines (C. S. Weinert).
Chapters covering the synthesis of a range of chalcogen-containing six-membered heterocyclic systems, both non-fused and benzo-fused. These include 2H-1-benzopyran-2-ones and 2H-1-benzopyran-2-thiones (B. Cheng and T. Wang), 1H-2-benzopyran-1-ones, 3H-2-benzopyran-3-ones, 6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-ones, 9H-xanthen-9-ones, and 9H-xanthene-9-thiones (W.-C. Gao and J. Tian), 3-oxidopyrylium salts and their thio and benzo-fused analogues (B. Jiang and C.-F. Zhu), benzothiopyrylium salts (J.-M. Lu and L.-X. Shao), thiopyranones and thiopyranthiones (Z. Wang, T. Shi, and H.-H. Zhang), selenopyrylium and benzoselenopyrylium salts (W. Wei and X. Zhao), and telluropyrylium and benzotelluropyrylium salts (Q. Tan).
New chapters on the synthesis of germoles (T. Müller) and stannoles (I.-M. Ramirez y Medina, W. Kipke, J. Makow, and A. Staubitz).
A completely revised chapter on the synthesis of benzo[b]thiophenes (N. Yoshikai, C. M. Rayner, and M. A. Graham), covering both classical and modern approaches.
Updates on the synthesis of pyrimidines and quinazolines (J. M. Campagne and E. Leclerc) as well as phenazines (N. B. Ambhaikar), all of which are important nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems.
A new chapter on the synthesis of amides by transamidation and amidation of activated amides andesters (G. Li and M. Szostak).
A major update on 1-nitrogen-functionalized 2-haloalkenes (M. L. Tong, K. Kunz, M. Jaschinski, K. Holzschneider, I. E. Celik, and S. F. Kirsch).
An update on 1,2-dioxolanes, covering their origin, synthesis, and biological activities (V. M. Dembitsky and I. A. Yaremenko).
An update on the synthesis of amines by rearrangement (C. I. Ochoa and U. K. Tambar), describing new applications of many classical reactions including Stevens, Sommelet-Hauser, aza-Wittig, Overman, Beckmann, Hofmann, Lossen, and Curtius rearrangements.
A new chapter on cross-dehydrogenative coupling of terminal alkynes (T. Tian and Z. Li), an important and efficient route to functionalized alkynes.
An update on hydrocarbon polymers (X.-Y. Wang and X.-L. Sun).
A major update on the synthesis and applications of allylsilanes (K. Okamoto and K. Ohe), which are important building blocks in organic synthesis.
An update on the synthesis of benzopyrylium salts (F. Wu and S. Zhu).
An update on the synthesis and modification of purines (Y. Liang, Z. Wen, M. Cabrera, A. H. Howlader, and S. F. Wnuk), an important class of heterocycle found widely in nature, including in DNA and RNA, as well as in pharmaceuticals.
A report on the synthesis of amides from acylboron compounds (A. Osuna Gálvez and J. W. Bode), using potassium acyltrifluoroborates (KATs), N-methyliminodiacetyl (MIDA) acylboronates, and monofluoro(acyl)boronates.
A review of recent advances in the aza-Diels-Alder reaction (W. Maison) as a way of forming six-membered cyclic amines.
A short review on the emerging area of alkane metathesis (G. Liu and Z. Huang), which holds potential for the transformation of less-valuable alkanes into high-value alkanes and for the degradation of polyethylenes.