N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Reagents, Not Just Ligands!
Vijay Nair Dr.
Organic Chemistry Division, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695 019, India, Fax: (+91) 471-249-1712
Search for more papers by this authorSanthamma Bindu Dr.
Organic Chemistry Division, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695 019, India, Fax: (+91) 471-249-1712
Search for more papers by this authorVellalath Sreekumar
Organic Chemistry Division, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695 019, India, Fax: (+91) 471-249-1712
Search for more papers by this authorVijay Nair Dr.
Organic Chemistry Division, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695 019, India, Fax: (+91) 471-249-1712
Search for more papers by this authorSanthamma Bindu Dr.
Organic Chemistry Division, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695 019, India, Fax: (+91) 471-249-1712
Search for more papers by this authorVellalath Sreekumar
Organic Chemistry Division, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Trivandrum 695 019, India, Fax: (+91) 471-249-1712
Search for more papers by this authorGraphical Abstract
Species of curiosity for a long time and more recently ligands for metals, nucleophilic heterocyclic carbenes deserve renewed attention as reagents and catalysts in organic synthesis. Their known chemistry (see scheme) foretells an impressive future.
Abstract
The unique properties of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have attracted much attention, mainly from theorists and organometallic chemists, the latter using them impressively as ligands for metals. Less well known, however, has been their suitability as excellent catalysts and nucleophilic reagents. Transesterification, nucleophilic aromatic substitution, and cycloaddition reactions are examples in which NHCs can play an important role. Asymmetric reactions using catalytic amounts of chiral NHCs are an efficient approach to optically active compounds. This minireview focuses on this aspect of the chemistry of NHCs.
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