The reactivity of a variety of quinuclidine-based catalysts in the Baylis-Hillman reaction has been examined, and a straightforward correlation between the basicity of the base and reactivity has been established, without exception. The following order of reactivity was established with pK(a)'s of the conjugate acids (measured in water) given in parentheses: quinuclidine (11.3), 3-hydroxyquinuclidine (9.9), DABCO (8.7), 3-acetoxyquinuclidine (9.3), 3-chloroquinuclidine (8.9), and quinuclidinone (7.2). The higher than expected reactivity of DABCO, based on its pK(a), was analyzed by comparing the relative basicity of DABCO and 3-acetoxyquinuclidine in DMSO. It was found that in aprotic solvent, DABCO was 0.6 pK(a) units more basic than 3-acetoxyquinuclidine, thus establishing a direct link between pK(a) of the amine and its reactivity. In contrast to previous literature work that reported the contrary, quinuclidine, which has the highest pK(a), was found to be the most active catalyst. The reaction profile with quinuclidine showed significant autocatalysis, which suggested that the presence of proton donors might further enhance rates. Thus, a series of additives bearing polar X-H bonds were investigated and it was found that methanol, triethanolamine, formamide, and water all provided additional acceleration. Methanol was found to be optimum, and the powerful combination of quinuclidine with methanol was tested with a host of aldehydes and Michael acceptors. Not only were the reactions more efficient and faster than previously reported, but now new substrates that were previously unreactive could be employed. Notable examples include the use of acetylenic aldehydes and the employment of vinyl sulfones, acrylamides, delta-lactones, and even alpha,beta-unsaturated esters bearing a beta-substituent.

Low yields are obtained when the Baylis-Hillman reaction is conducted in the presence of an imidazolium-based ionic liquid due to direct addition of the deprotonated imidazolium salt to the aldehyde. Ionic liquids are evidently not inert.

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The structurally intriguing [4]-and [5]triangulanes have been prepared in enantiomerically pure form. Their surprisingly high specific rotations are well reproduced by DFT/SCI computations and stem from the fact that these hydrocarbons essentially are σ-helicenes (i.e., rigidly held helical arrangements of σ-bonds). Some light is shed on the properties of radical cations derived from [3]-and [4]rotanes. While the former adopts C s or C 2v symmetry, the latter retains the D 4h symmetry of the neutral hydrocarbon, according to highlevel computations. Experimental and computational evidence is also presented that the antiaromatic cyclopentadienyl cation is stabilized as a singlet ground state by five cyclopropyl substituents. Yet, the three cyclopropyl groups in tricyclopropylamine do not favor the formation of its radical cation, because they are not in the proper orientation. When this amine radical cation is generated by cobalt γ-irradiation in a Freon matrix, evidence for a significant conformational change is obtained by EPR spectroscopy. Finally, the conformational dynamics of the newly prepared crowded molecules tetracyclopropyl-and tetraisopropylmethane are discussed.

In einem Schritt zugänglich sind die Tetra‐ und Pentacyclopropylcyclopentadiene 3 aus Dicyclopropylacetylen 1 und n‐Butylformiat 2 a bzw. Cyclopropancarbonsäuremethylester 2 b. Die fünf Cyclopropylsubstituenten in 3 b üben eine erhebliche Donorwirkung auf den Cyclopentadienidring aus, wenn dieser wie in 4 an ein Metallzentrum gebunden ist.