Role of base assisted proton transfer in N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed intermolecular Stetter reaction

Access to Spiropyrazolone-butenolides through NHC-Catalyzed [3 + 2]-Asymmetric Annulation of 3-Bromoenals and 1H-Pyrazol-4,5-diones

The stereoselective synthesis of spirocyclic pyrazolin-5-ones by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) organocatalysis has been less studied so far. For this reason and considering the interest of this class of compounds, here, we present the NHC-catalyzed [3 + 2]-asymmetric annulation of β-bromoenals and 1H-pyrazol-4,5-diones that achieves to produce chiral spiropyrazolone-butenolides. The synthesis is general for aryl and heteroaryl β-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and 1,3-disubstituted pyrazolones. The spirobutenolides have been obtained in good yields (up to 88%) and enantioselectivities (up to 97:3 er). This constitutes the first described example using pyrazoldiones as the starting materials for this class of spiro compounds.

NHC-catalysed [3 + 2]-asymmetric annulation between pyrazolin-4,5-diones and enals: synthesis of novel spirocyclic pyrazolone γ-butyrolactones and computational study of mechanism and stereoselectivity

Herein we present the first asymmetric synthesis of spiropyrazolone γ-butyrolactones from 1H-pyrazol-4,5-diones and enals by an NHC-catalysed [3 + 2] annulation. DFT calculations carried out predict the experimental configuration of final adducts.

E-Selective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed reaction of aldehydes and butadienoates: effect of water and chloroform as the proton shuttle

An N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed reaction of aldehydes and butadienoates affording (E)-4-oxo-2-butenoates highly stereoselectively has been developed. Some key intermediates have been detected by an MS study.

Formation, Oxidation, and Fate of the Breslow Intermediate in the N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Aldehydes

The reaction paths and intermediate structures related to the formation of the Breslow intermediate and its oxidation along the oxidative/oxygenative lanes have been studied from a mechanistic point of view, with the support of gas-phase and computational studies. The results confirm the occurrence of a single-electron transfer from the Breslow intermediate to the molecular oxygen with formation of a radical couple that recombines either as a peroxide anion 7' to afford the aldehyde-to-carboxylic acid product or as a hydroperoxy derivative 7″ that evolved into an electrophilic acyl azolium, opening to the aldehyde-to-ester conversion. Steric factors enter into determining the different reactivity. All of the intermediates of both catalytic paths have been observed and characterized under mass spectrometric conditions. In particular, for the imidazoline catalyst, the (+)ESI-MS/(MS) detection of the genuine Breslow intermediate was made possible in virtue of its limited reactivity. Mechanistic aspects of the N-heterocyclic carbenes catalyzed aerobic oxidation of aldehydes shares important similarities with that one of the recently revisited benzoin condensation.

Insights into the Competing Mechanisms and Origin of Enantioselectivity for N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Reaction of Aldehyde with Enamide

Hydroacylation reactions and aza-benzoin reactions have attracted considerable attention from experimental chemists. Recently, Wang et al. reported an interesting reaction of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed addition of aldehyde to enamide, in which both hydroacylation and aza-benzoin reactions may be involved. Thus, understanding the competing relationship between them is of great interest. Now, density functional theory (DFT) investigation was performed to elucidate this issue. Our results reveal that enamide can tautomerize to its imine isomer with the assistance of HCO3-. The addition of NHC to aldehydes formed Breslow intermediate, which can go through cross-coupling with enamide via hydroacylation reaction or its imine isomer via aza-benzoin reaction. The aza-benzoin reaction requires relatively lower free energy barrier than the hydroacylation reaction. The more polar characteristic of C=N group in the imine isomers, and the more advantageous stereoelectronic effect in the carbon-carbon bond forming transition states in aza-benzoin pathway were identified to determine that the imine isomer can react with the Breslow intermediate more easily. Furthermore, the origin of enantioselectivities for the reaction was explored and reasonably explained by structural analyses on key transition states. The work should provide valuable insights for rational design of switchable NHC-catalyzed hydroacylation and aza-benzoin reactions with high stereoselectivity.

A potential role of a substrate as a base for the deprotonation pathway in Rh-catalysed C–H amination of heteroarenes: DFT insights

DFT studies suggest that basic substrates assist the C–H activation step in Rh-catalysed reactions and transport protons towards the protodemetallation step.

Quantifying N-heterocyclic carbenes as umpolung catalysts in the benzoin reaction: balance between nucleophilicity and electrophilicity

Different types of N-heterocyclic carbenes, i.e. normal, reduced heteroatom stabilized, remote and abnormal carbenes, are computationally assessed (THF-CPCM-B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d)) in the benzoin reaction to study their characteristics as umpolung catalysts.