Rate and equilibrium constants for the addition of triazolium salt derived N-heterocyclic carbenes to heteroaromatic aldehydes

Heteroaromatic aldehydes are often used preferentially or exclusively in a range of NHC-catalysed processes that proceed through the generation of a reactive diaminoenol or Breslow Intermediate (BI), with the reason for their unique reactivity currently underexplored. This manuscript reports measurement of rate and equilibrium constants for the reaction between N-aryl triazolium NHCs and heteroaromatic aldehydes, providing insight into the effect of the NHC and heteroaromatic aldehyde structure up to formation of the BI. Variation in NHC catalyst and heteroaromatic aldehyde structure markedly affect the observed kinetic parameters of adduct formation, decay to starting materials and onward reaction to BI. In particular, large effects are observed with both 3-halogen (Br, F) and 3-methyl substituted pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde derivatives which substantially favour formation of the tetrahedral intermediate relative to benzaldehyde derivatives. Key observations indicate that increased steric hindrance leads to a reduction in both k2 and k−1 for large (2,6-disubstituted)-N-Ar groups within the triazolium scaffold, and sterically demanding aldehyde substituents in the 3-position, but not in the 6-position of the pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde derivatives. As part of this study, the isolation and characterisation of twenty tetrahedral adducts formed upon addition of N-aryl triazolium derived NHCs into heteroaromatic aldehydes are described. These adducts are key intermediates in NHC-catalysed umpolung addition of heteroaromatic aldehydes and are BI precursors

Kinetic and structure–activity studies of the triazolium ion-catalysed benzoin condensation

Steady-state kinetic and structure–activity studies of a series of six triazolium-ion pre-catalysts 2a–2f were investigated for the benzoin condensation. These data provide quantitative insight into the role of triazolium N-aryl substitution under synthetically relevant catalytic conditions in a polar solvent environment. Kinetic behaviour was significantly different to that previously reported for a related thiazolium-ion pre-catalyst 1, with the observed levelling of initial rate constants to νmax at high aldehyde concentrations for all triazolium catalysts. Values for νmax for 2a–2f increase with electron withdrawing N-aryl substituents, in agreement with reported optimal synthetic outcomes under catalytic conditions, and vary by 75-fold across the series. The levelling of rate constants supports a change in rate-limiting step and evidence supports the assignment of the Breslow-intermediate forming step to the plateau region. Correlation of νmax reaction data yielded a positive Hammett ρ-value (ρ = +1.66) supporting the build up of electron density adjacent to the triazolium N-Ar in the rate-limiting step favoured by electron withdrawing N-aryl substituents. At lower concentrations of aldehyde, both Breslow-intermediate and benzoin formation are partially rate-limiting

Proton transfer reactions of a bridged bis-propyl bis-imidazolium salt

Tetraazafulvalene 1 has found broad application in reduction and other related transformations and is conveniently generated from bis-propyl bis-imidazolium salt 4 with a strong base in a non-protic solvent. The proposed mechanism for the formation of 1 involves initial deprotonation at C(2) to give a mono-carbene 9 followed by intramolecular reaction at the second azolium centre. Herein, we report the second-order rate constants for deuteroxide-catalysed exchange in aqueous solution of the C(2)-hydrogens of bis-propyl bis-imidazolium di-iodide salt 4 and related monomeric dipropyl imidazolium iodide 10 of kDO = 1.37 × 104 and 1.79 × 102 M−1 s−1, respectively, and used these data to calculate pKa values of 21.2 and 23.1. The greater C(2)-H acidity of the doubly bridged bis-propyl bis-imidazolium salt 4 relative to 10 may be attributed to the inductive or electrostatic destabilization of the conjugate acid dicationic azolium ion 4 relative to the monocationic carbene 9, which is enhanced by bis-tethering. Formation of tetraazafulvalene 1 was not observed under the aqueous conditions employed highlighting that carbene reprotonation significantly outcompetes dimerization under these conditions

Proton Transfer Reactions of Triazol-3-ylidenes: Kinetic Acidities and Carbon Acid p<em>K</em>_a Values for Twenty Triazolium Salts in Aqueous Solution

Second-order rate constants have been determined for deuteroxide ion-catalyzed exchange of the C(3)-proton for deuterium, k(DO) (M-1 s(-1)), of a series of 20 triazolium salts in aqueous solution at 25 degrees C and ionic strength I = 1.0 (KCI). Evidence is presented that the rate constant for the reverse protonation of the triazol-3-ylidenes by solvent water is close to that for dielectric relaxation of solvent (10(11) s(-1)). These data enabled the calculation of carbon acid pK(a) values in the range 16.5-18.5 for the 20 triazolium salts. pD rate profiles for deuterium exchange of the triazolium salts reveal that protonation at nitrogen to give dicationic triazolium species occurs under acidic conditions, with estimates of pK(a)(N1) = -0.2 to 0.5.</p