Recent advances in catalysts for the Henry reaction

Abstract

The Henry reaction, the coupling of a nitro alkane and a carbonyl group, is an important C–C bond-forming reaction giving nitro alkanols, which are useful, versatile intermediates in synthetic organic chemistry and for the pharmaceutical industry. Among the catalysts employed in the Henry reaction, transition metal complex catalysts play an important role. Transition metal complexes, including small molecules and nanoparticles, catalyze the asymmetric Henry reaction efficiently and in most of the cases give chiral nitro alkanol products in good yield and enantiomeric excess. This review summarizes transition metal complex catalysts, metal-free organic catalysts and nanoparticle catalysts for the Henry reaction.

Structural Diversity and Catalytic Properties of Coordination Polymers with Functionalized Naphthalene Dicarboxylate Linkers

“…In the literature, a variety of amide-based coordination polymers have been employed as catalysts for Henry and Knoevenagel condensation reactions. ,,− In this study, the synthesized compounds, particularly coordination polymers 7 – 10 , possess both Lewis acid (Co 2+ /Mn 2+ /Zn 2+ with unsaturated coordination) and basic center (amine group) functionalities. Consequently, they exhibit potential as bifunctional catalysts.…”

Biogenic derived egg shell and its derivatives as solid base heterogeneous catalysts for organic transformations: a comprehensive review

“…Named after the British chemist Edward Henry, this reaction involves the addition of a nitroalkane to an aldehyde or ketone, leading to the formation of β-nitro alcohols. 33 This reaction is notable for its versatility and its applicability in the synthesis of various organic compounds, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and natural products. 34 However, its limitations, such as substrate specificity, reactivity issues, and environmental concerns, must be considered when planning and conducting reactions.…”

Interplay of a nitro group and metal ions: from coordinative binding to noncovalent semicoordination

“…1,2 The versatility of these compounds is mainly due to their easy availability and well-developed transformation procedures, which lead to diverse practically useful products and functionalities. 1–3 Organic nitro compounds are very important building blocks for various synthetic transformations, 4 including in particular the generation of new carbon–carbon bonds in the Henry reaction, 2,4–7 nitro-Mannich reaction with amines and formaldehyde, 2 Michael reaction with multiple carbon–carbon bonds, 2,4,8 and some cross-coupling processes. 9–12…”