Pyridine N-Oxides and Derivatives Thereof in Organocatalysis

Abstract

Pyridine N-oxides are a class of mild Lewis bases that can activate certain kinds of Lewis acidic parts of molecules and hence increase reactivity of its nucleophilic part towards various reactions with electrophiles. This review aims to summarize the applications of various non-chiral and chiral pyridine N-oxides in catalysis of a variety of reactions.

In addition, the applications of these reactions in syntheses of natural and bioactive compounds are mentioned as well.

Keywords

• aldol reactions
• allylation
• catalysis
• crotylation
• cyanation
• epoxide
• epoxide cleavage
• natural compounds
• N-oxide
• phosphorylation
• propargylation
• rearrangement
• reduction
• synthesis