摘要:
An unexpected N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed esterification of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes including aromatic aldehydes with reactive cinnamyl bromides in the presence of air oxygen or MnO2 as an oxidant is described. In the presence of oxygen, halogenated and electron-deficient aldehydes react smoothly to furnish esters in good yields. Great efforts have been made on mechanistic studies to deduce a plausible mechanism, based on the experimental results and isotopic labeling experiment.