N-Heterocyclic olefins as efficient phase-transfer catalysts for base-promoted alkylation reactions.

Abstract

N-Heterocyclic olefins (NHOs) have very recently emerged as efficient promoters for several chemical reactions due to their strong Brønsted/Lewis basicities. Here we report the novel application of NHOs as efficient phase-transfer organocatalysts for synthetically important alkylation reactions on a wide range of substrates, further demonstrating the great potential of NHOs in organic chemistry.