Conspectus
One of the
constant challenges of synthetic chemistry is the molecular design
and synthesis of nonionic, metal-free superbases as chemically stable
neutral organic compounds of moderate molecular weight, intrinsically
high thermodynamic basicity, adaptable kinetic basicity, and weak
or tunable nucleophilicity at their nitrogen, phosphorus, or carbon
basicity centers. Such superbases can catalyze numerous reactions,
ranging from C–C bond formation to cycloadditions and polymerization,
to name just a few. Additional benefits of organic superbases, as
opposed to their inorganic counterparts, are their solubility in organic
reaction media, mild reaction conditions, and higher selectivity.
Approaching such superbasic compounds remains a continuous challenge.
However, recent advances in synthetic methodology and theoretical
understanding have resulted in new design principles and synthetic
strategies toward superbases. Our computational contributions have
demonstrated that the gas-phase basicity region of 350 kcal mol–1 and even beyond is easily reachable by organosuperbases.
However, despite record-high basicities, the physical limitations
of many of these compounds become quickly evident. The typically large
molecular weight of these molecules and their sensitivity to ordinary
reaction conditions prevent them from being practical, even though
their preparation is often not too difficult. Thus, obviously structural
limitations with respect to molecular weight and structural complexity
must be imposed on the design of new synthetically useful organic
superbases, but strategies for increasing their basicity remain important.
The contemporary design of novel organic superbases is illustrated
by phosphazenyl phosphanes displaying gas-phase basicities (GB) above
300 kcal mol–1 but having molecular weights well
below 1000 g·mol–1. This approach is based
on a reconsideration of phosphorus(III) compounds, which goes along
with increasing their stability in solution. Another example is the
preparation of carbodiphosphoranes incorporating pyrrolidine,
tetramethylguanidine, or hexamethylphosphazene as a substituent.
With gas-phase proton affinities of up to 300 kcal mol–1, they are among the top nonionic carbon bases on the basicity scale.
Remarkably, the high basicity of these compounds is achieved at molecular
weights of around 600 g·mol–1. Another approach
to achieving high basicity through the cooperative effect of multiple
intramolecular hydrogen bonding, which increases the stabilization
of conjugate acids, has recently been confirmed.
This Account
focuses on our efforts to produce superbasic molecules that embody
many desirable traits, but other groups’ approaches will also
be discussed. We reveal the crucial structural features of superbases
and place them on known basicity scales. We discuss the emerging potential
and current limits of their application and give a general outlook
into the future.