N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Truce-Smiles Rearrangement of N-Arylacrylamides via the Cleavage of Unactivated C(aryl)-N Bonds

We report on the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed Truce-Smiles rearrangement of aniline derivatives, in which an unactivated C(aryl)-N bond is cleaved, leading to the formation of a new C(aryl)-C bond. The key to the success of this reaction is the utilization of a highly nucleophilic NFIC, which enables the formation of a highly nucleophilic ylide intermediate that is generated from an alpha,beta-unsaturated amide.

Automated summary

This study reports on the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed Truce-Smiles rearrangement of aniline derivatives, where an unactivated C(aryl)-N bond is cleaved to form a new C(aryl)-C bond. The key to the success of this reaction lies in the utilization of highly nucleophilic NFIC, which enables the formation of a highly nucleophilic ylide intermediate generated from an alpha,beta-unsaturated amide.