NMR H-bond analysis reveals an offset of internal and external acidities of catalysts and allows for a detailed reactivity analysis.

Symmetrical oligourea foldamers were made from meso cyclohexane-1,2-diamine and desymmetrised by incorporating terminal functional groups (carbamates, ureas or thioureas) with differing hydrogen-bonding capacities. Irrespective of solvent, the foldamers populate a dynamic equilibrium of two alternative screw-sense conformers whose relative population is determined by the competing hydrogen-bonding properties of the terminal groups, dictating the foldamer's global hydrogen-bond directionality. Intermolecular association of these dynamic foldamers with achiral anionic guests (acetate or phosphate, but not neutral hydrogen-bonding solvents) leads to inversion of the conformational preference, as strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding induces reorganization of the intramolecular hydrogen-bond network. The foldamers behave as a molecular torsion balance whose conformational preference is governed by competing hydrogen-bond pairing.

Chiral thioureas and squaramides are among the most prominent hydrogen-bond bifunctional organocatalysts now extensively used for various transformations, including aldol, Michael, Mannich and Diels-Alder reactions. More importantly, the experimental and computational study of the mode of activation has begun to attract considerable attention. Various experimental, spectroscopic and calculation methods are now frequently used, often as an integrated approach, to establish the reaction mechanism, the mode of activation or explain the stereochemical outcome of the reaction. This article comprises several case studies, sorted according to the method used in their study. The aim of this review is to give the investigators an overview of the methods currently utilized for mechanistic investigations in hydrogen-bonding organocatalysis.

In Brønsted acid catalysis, hydrogen bonds play a crucial role for reactivity and selectivity. However, the contribution of weak hydrogen bonds or multiple acceptors has been unclear so far since it is extremely difficult to collect experimental evidence for weak hydrogen bonds. Here, our hydrogen bond and structural access to Brønsted acid/imine complexes was used to analyze BINOL-derived chiral disulfonimide (DSI)/imine complexes. 1H and 15N chemical shifts as well as 1JNH coupling constants revealed for DSI/imine complexes ion pairs with very weak hydrogen bonds. The high acidity of the DSIs leads to a significant weakening of the hydrogen bond as structural anchor. In addition, the five hydrogen bond acceptors of DSI allow an enormous mobility of the imine in the binary DSI complexes. Theoretical calculations predict the hydrogen bonds to oxygen to be energetically less favored; however, their considerable population is corroborated experimentally by NOE and exchange data. Furthermore, an N-alkylimine, which shows excellent reactivity and selectivity in reactions with DSI, reveals an enlarged structural space in complexes with the chiral phosphoric acid TRIP as potential explanation of its reduced reactivity and selectivity. Thus, considering factors such as flexibility and possible hydrogen bond sites is essential for catalyst development in Brønsted acid catalysis.