title: N-Heterocyclic carbene/Brønsted acid cooperative catalysis as a powerful tool in organic synthesis.
abstract: The interplay between metals and N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) has provided a window of opportunities for the development of novel catalytic strategies within the past few years. The recent successful combination of Brønsted acids with NHCs has added a new dimension to the field of cooperative catalysis, enabling the stereoselective synthesis of functionalized pyrrolidin-2-ones as valuable scaffolds in heterocyclic chemistry. This Commentary will briefly highlight the concept of N-heterocyclic carbene/Brønsted acid cooperative catalysis as a new and powerful methodology in organic chemistry.
authors.affiliation: SynBioC Research Group, Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Vreese
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'hooghe