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Updated: May 26, 2026

Optimization of the Ugi Reaction Using Parallel Synthesis and Automated Liquid Handling
Published on: November 11, 2008
Challenging 50 years of established views on Ugi reaction: a theoretical approach
Nicolas Chéron1, Romain Ramozzi, Laurent El Kaïm
1Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Laboratoire de Chimie, UMR 5182, 46, allée d'Italie, F-69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
Abstract:
The Ugi reaction is one of the most famous multicomponent couplings, and its efficiency is still explained by the original mechanism suggested by Ugi in the 60s. This article aims to present a thorough theoretical study of this reaction. It describes how the imine is activated and how the new stereogenic center is formed. Our calculations strongly suggest alternatives to some commonly accepted features, such as the reversibility of the intermediate steps, and temper the nature of the driving force of the reaction.
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