2012/01/01 by Xavier Bugaut, Frank Glorius · 3 citations
Chemistry · #N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Organic and Inorganic Chemistry #Catalytic Cross-Coupling Reactions #Cyclopropane Reaction Mechanisms
paper · doi:10.1039/c2cs15333e
openalex publication_date 2012/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The umpolung strategy encompasses all the methods that make organic molecules react in an inverse manner compared to their innate polarity-driven reactivity. This concept entered the field of organocatalysis when it was recognized that N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) can provide catalytic access to acyl anion equivalents. Since then, tremendous efforts have followed to develop a broad variety of NHC-catalyzed reactions. In addition to this, more recent research developments have shown that other families of organocatalysts are also able to mediate transformations in which inversion of polarity is involved. This tutorial review aims at offering a didactic overview of organocatalytic umpolung and should serve as an inspiration for further progress in this field.