Iminium Catalysis A New Concept in Organocatalysis

Among the most widely recognized areas of organic catalysis in the modern have been the seminal studies of Yang, -  

While the studies outlined in Eqs. (11.1)-(11.8) summarize the most important frontiers for metal-free synthesis, they also highhght a common limitation for the organocatalysis field. To date, there remain relatively few (less than 10) activation mechanisms that have been established to be amenable to organic catalysis. Accordingly, a primary objective for the advancement of the field of asymmetric organocatalysis has been the design and/or development of concepts that enable organic substrates to function as catalysts for a wide variety of new and established reactions. 

The Catalysis Concept of Iminium Activation In 2000, the MacMillan laboratory disclosed a new strategy for asymmetric synthesis based on the capacity of chiral amines to function as enantioselective catalysts for a range of transformations that traditionally use Lewis acids. This catalytic concept was founded on the mechanistic postulate that the reversible formation of iminium ions from a,p-unsaturated aldehydes and amines [Eq. (11.10)] might emulate the equilibrium dynamics and 7i-orbital electronics that are inherent to Lewis acid catalysis [i.e., lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO)-lowering activation] [Eq. (11.9)]  

The elfectiveness of imidazolidinone of type 11 was confirmed by successful application to a broad range of chemical transformations, including cycloadditions, conjugate additions, Friedel-Crafts alkylations, Mukaiyama-Michael additions, hydrogenations, cyclopropanations, and epoxidations. A summary of these enantio-selective iminium catalyzed processes is provided by reaction subclass. 

Friedel-Crafts Alkylations and Mukaiyama-Michael Reactions The metal-catalyzed addition of aromatic substrates to electron-deficient a- and 7i-systems, commonly known as Friedel-Crafts alkylation, has long been established as a powerful strategy for C-C bond formation. Surprisingly, however, relatively 

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