Karen Thai

NHC-catalyzed ring expansion of oxacycloalkane-2-carboxaldehydes: a versatile synthesis of lactones.

Imidazolinium-derived carbenes catalyze the ring-expansion lactonization of oxacycloalkane-2-carboxaldehydes. A variety of functionalized five-, six-, and seven-membered lactones can be formed efficiently under mild reaction conditions. The success of this new method for the construction of lactones is highly influenced by the electronic nature of the carbene catalyst.

Highly Enantioselective Intermolecular Stetter Reactions of β-Aryl Acceptors: α-Ketoester Moiety as Handle for Activation and Synthetic Manipulations

The use of β,γ-unsaturated-α-ketoesters in the intermolecular Stetter reaction furnishes 1,2,5-tricarbonyl compounds in high yield and excellent enantioselectivity. The α,δ-diketoesters generated using this methodology serve as useful synthetic building blocks via chemo- and diastereoselective transformations.

NHC-Catalyzed Intramolecular Redox Amidation for the Synthesis of Functionalized Lactams

A very efficient NHC-catalyzed lactamization reaction is reported. For most cases, the ring expansion reaction proceeds to cleanly furnish five- and six-membered N-Ts and N-Bn lactams, without the need for further purification. Evidence is presented suggesting a dual role for the stoichiometric base: (1) deprotonation of the triazolium precatalyst and (2) activation of the nitrogen leaving group through hydrogen bonding.

Chemoselective N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Cross-Benzoin Reactions: Importance of the Fused Ring in Triazolium Salts

Morpholinone- and piperidinone-derived triazolium salts are shown to catalyze highly chemoselective cross-benzoin reactions between aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. The reaction scope includes ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted benzaldehyde derivatives with a range of electron-donating and -withdrawing groups as well as branched and unbranched aliphatic aldehydes. Catalytic loadings as low as 5 mol % give excellent yields in these reactions (up to 99%).

Highly chemo- and enantioselective cross-benzoin reaction of aliphatic aldehydes and α-ketoesters.

An electron-deficient, valine-derived triazolium salt is shown to catalyze a highly chemo- and enantioselective cross-benzoin reaction between aliphatic aldehydes and α-ketoesters. This methodology represents the first high yielding and highly enantioselective intermolecular cross-benzoin reaction using an organocatalyst (up to 94% ee). Further diastereoselective reduction of the products gives access to densely oxygenated compounds with high chemo- and diastereoselectivity.