Breslow intermediate

E601252

The Breslow intermediate is a reactive enaminol species proposed in organocatalysis that explains the umpolung (polarity inversion) of aldehydes in N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed reactions.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf enaminol
organic chemical species
reaction intermediate
explains umpolung of aldehydes
field organocatalysis
physical organic chemistry
reaction mechanism analysis
formedBy addition of N-heterocyclic carbene to aldehyde carbonyl
subsequent proton transfer and tautomerization to an enaminol
hasAlternativeName Breslow enaminol
NHC-bound enaminol intermediate
hasComponent alpha-carbon bearing partial negative character
conjugated C=C–C=O system
enol hydroxyl group
hasElectronicEffect inverts electrophilic carbonyl carbon to nucleophilic center
hasPrecursor N-heterocyclic carbene
aldehyde
hasProperty can be stabilized in some systems for spectroscopic observation
highly reactive
nucleophilic at the former carbonyl carbon
often not directly observable
results from polarity inversion of aldehyde carbonyl
transient
hasRole key intermediate in N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis
nucleophilic acyl anion equivalent
umpolung reagent
isPartOf mechanism of Stetter reaction
mechanism of benzoin condensation
mechanisticRole central intermediate in organocatalytic umpolung chemistry
connects N-heterocyclic carbene addition to aldehyde with acyl anion reactivity
namedAfter Ronald Breslow NERFINISHED
occursIn N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalytic cycles
participatesIn N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed Stetter reaction
N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed acylation reactions
N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed benzoin condensation
N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed umpolung reactions of aldehydes
proposedBy Ronald Breslow NERFINISHED
proposedIn 1950s
relatedTo N-heterocyclic carbene
Stetter reaction NERFINISHED
acyl anion equivalent
benzoin condensation
umpolung
stabilizedBy conjugating substituents on the aldehyde
electron-withdrawing substituents on the N-heterocyclic carbene
usedAsConceptIn design of new N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts
development of umpolung-based synthetic methods

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Ronald Breslow notableConcept Breslow intermediate