Synfacts 2010(10): 1189-1189  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1258673
Organo- and Biocatalysis
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Precipitation Induced Nonlinear Effects in Phosphoric Acid Catalysis

Contributor(s): Benjamin List, Ji-Woong Lee
N. Li, X.-H. Chen, S.-M. Zhou, S.-W. Luo, J. Song, L. Ren, L.-Z. Gong*
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry and Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. of China
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 September 2010 (online)

Significance

A strong positive nonlinear effect (NLE) of phosphoric acid catalyst 1 is reported (see also: D. G. Blackmond and co-workers ­Nature 2006, 441, 621). The single crystal structures of racemic and enantiopure 1 have different patterns of hydrogen bonding networks with water, which render an energy difference between a racemate and a conglomerate. Also, a positive NLE was observed for various reactions with substrates, which do not contain a hydrogen bonding interrupting functional group. Otherwise, a NLE could not be observed with basic substrates, which can disturb hydrogen bonding and dissolve the catalyst in a non-polar solution. However, after removing precipitated phosphate 1, a NLE could be detected for the reactions with basic substrates.