β-Carbon activation of saturated carboxylic esters through N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysis

• Main Authors: Xu, Jianfeng, Zhu, Tingshun, Leong, Wendy Wen Yi, Chi, Robin Yonggui, Fu, Zhenqian
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Chemistry::Organic chemistry::Organic synthesis
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/105761; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/17073; http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1710
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The activation of the α-carbons of carboxylic esters and related carbonyl compounds to generate enolate equivalents as nucleophiles is one of the most powerful strategies in organic synthesis. We reasoned that the horizons of chemical synthesis could be greatly expanded if the typically inert β-carb...