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Assembly of versatile fluorine-containing structures via N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysis

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Abstract

Owing to the unique properties of fluorine-containing moieties in the pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials, several synthetic efforts (i.e., enzymatic resolution, transition-metal catalysis, and organocatalysis) have been frequently made to fabricate these fluorinated structures. As powerful organic catalysts, N-heterocyclic carbenes can activate carbonyl group and realize the chiral intervention of multiple sites near the carbonyl group, and have an irreplaceable power to construct fluorine-containing fragments. However, NHC reviews focused on the versatile synthesis of fluorine-containing fragments are absolutely rare to this date. This mini-review highlights the invention of inserting fluorine atom or assembling fluorine-containing fragments via NHC organocatalysis. By summarizing the relative achievements in this field, we are eager to provide enlightening clues for further developments.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21871160, 21672121, 22071130) and the Bayer Investigator Fellow.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000, China

    Jian Wang

  2. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Bei Zhang & Jian Wang

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  1. Bei Zhang
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Correspondence to Jian Wang.

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Zhang, B., Wang, J. Assembly of versatile fluorine-containing structures via N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysis. Sci. China Chem. 65, 1691–1703 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-022-1291-2

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