Organocatalysis is the use of low molecular weight organic molecules to accelerate chemical reactions. As seen by its rapid growth over the last couple decades, this type of catalysis is attractive to to synthetic chemists due to the mild reaction conditions, low cost materials and green chemistry characteristics organocatalysis offers. Thiourea-based organocatalysts promote reactions using reversible and selective, hydrogen bonding, which can be used to activate the electrophile and nucleophile reactants. We synthesized thiourea catalysts using 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl isothiocyanate and either ortho and para-aminobenzoic acid, or ortho and para-aminophenol. The catalysts were screened for catalytic activity in the Henry Nitroaldol Reaction. As catalytic activity differed with structure this gave insight into optimal motifs and conditions for thiourea catalysts.

Development of anthranilic acid derived thiourea catalysts

2019 Spring National Meeting

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