Insight into the organocatalytic arylation of azonaphthalenes with α-chloroaldehydes: the general mechanism and origin of selectivities

Chem Commun (Camb). 2021 Jan 7;57(2):219-222. doi: 10.1039/d0cc07260e. Epub 2020 Dec 10.

Abstract

A systemical computational study was performed to explore the mechanism and origin of selectivities on the organocatalytic arylation of azonaphthalenes with α-chloroaldehydes. The calculated results reveal that the nucleophilicity of active sites and the hydrogen bonds respectively regulate chemo- and stereoselectivities and, for the first time, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) can act as a multiple functional base (MFB) catalyst in one system.