title: Recent advances in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalysed benzoin reactions.
abstract: N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have emerged as a powerful class of organocatalysts that mediate a variety of organic transformations. The Benzoin reaction constitutes one of the earliest known carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions catalysed by NHCs. The rapid growth of NHC catalysis in general has resulted in the development of a variety of benzoin and benzoin-type reactions. An overview of such NHC-catalysed benzoin reactions is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana-123 029, India.
authors.forename: Rajeev S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.affiliation: Organic Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008, India.
authors.forename: Akkattu T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Biju
authors.affiliation: Organic Chemistry Section, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology,Trivandrum 695 019, India.; ; Tel: +91 471 2490406.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nair
keywords: N-heterocyclic carbenes; acyloin reaction; benzoin reaction; organocatalysis; umpolung