Abstract
A current research program in our laboratory is devoted to the development of cyclohexa-1,4-diene-based
surrogates of difficult-to-handle compounds and their application in metal-free ionic
transfer reactions. These investigations grew from our interest in silylium ion chemistry
and consequently concentrated initially on surrogates of gaseous and explosive hydrosilanes
such as Me3SiH and even monosilane (SiH4). Since then, we have expanded the concept to design surrogates of other species
including H2, mineral acids (HI and HBr), and hydrocarbons (isobutane and isobutene). This Account
summarizes our discoveries in this area to date, describing the challenges we faced
along the way and how we combatted them.
1 Introduction
2 Transfer Hydrofunctionalization: Variation of the Electrofuge
3 Transfer Hydrofunctionalization: Variation of the Nucleofuge
4 Transfer Hydrohalogenation Using a Modified Surrogate
5 Surrogate Synthesis
6 Conclusion
Key words
ionic transfer chemistry - main-group catalysis - metal-free - surrogates - Wheland
intermediates