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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

A Microwave-Assisted Direct Heteroarylation of Ketones Using Transition Metal Catalysis
Published on: February 16, 2020
N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed Mukaiyama aldol reactions
Jinhua J Song1, Zhulin Tan, Jonathan T Reeves
1Department of Chemical Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., 900 Old Ridgebury Road/P.O. Box 368, Ridgefield, CT 06877-0368, USA. jsong@rdg.boehringer-ingelheim.com
Abstract:
N-Heterocyclic carbenes were shown to be highly effective catalysts to promote Mukaiyama aldol reactions. In the presence of only 0.5 mol % of N-heterocyclic carbene (5), various aldehydes and 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone underwent Mukaiyama aldol reactions in THF with trimethylsilyl ketene acetal (2) at 23 degrees C as well as with trimethylsilyl enol ether (7) at 0 degrees C to afford aldol adducts in good yields. These conditions are extremely mild and operationally simple and tolerate various functional groups. [reaction: see text]
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