Baylis Hillman Reaction Lab

The Baylis-Hillman Reaction

In both organic and synthetic chemistry, there is a great demand for reactions that lead to the selective addition of carbon - carbon bonds on a specific atom when there are multiple competing bond sites present. Reactions that can form these bonds greatly simplify the process of assembling carbon frameworks, these frameworks are major in many synthetic and organic chemistry processes. Although there are other reactions that can give the same outcome, the Baylis-Hillman reaction, while producing the carbon - carbon bond has many other promising aspects as well. This reaction has great operational simplicity, is atom economical, and there is high availability of the starting materials. The adducts that come from

There is a very broad substrate-catalyst tolerance and a very broad temperature range that this reaction can operate under (1). The carbon - carbon bond forming capabilities of this reaction is one of the most important outcomes. Accompanying the carbon-carbon bonds this reaction produces, this reaction also shows very high regio- , stereo- , and chemo- , selectivity (1). In addition there are three chemo specific functional groups common to this reaction. Hydroxy, alkene, and electron withdrawing groups (2). Yet another important outcome is that the Baylis-Hillman reaction forms a class of densely multifunctional molecules which have numerous applications in many areas of scientific research. Also, non-carbon electrophiles can be used in this reaction, which produces a carbon - nitrogen bond forming another class of functionalized molecules (2). These products are very synthetically useful and provide good stepping stones leading to the synthesis of other, more complex, molecules (3). Finally, this reaction is highly atom economical and efficient. Nearly all of the starting materials are readily available, there is little waste and nearly all of the reagents are used to make the final products. Because of this, Baylis-Hillman reactions generally show very high conversions and yields (1). All of these essential results of the Baylis-Hillman reaction

The products from this reaction can be used in multiple different ways in organic synthesis and total synthesis, which is especially useful in medical chemistry and the synthesis of different drugs. The intramolecular applications of the Baylis-Hillman reaction have given some of the first opportunities for the synthesis of cyclic compounds, which are crucial in the development of drugs (5). The Baylis-Hillman reaction can be used to construct key cyclic intermediates, and the synthesis of cyclic molecules in general, which can be applied to form important drugs. Due to the operational simplicity of the Baylis-Hillman reaction, the adducts can be beneficial in simple stereoselective synthesis, which is also very important in medical chemistry and synthesis where the orientation of the molecules can determine whether the drug is beneficial or detrimental (5). A synthesis was also developed of varied carbonyl compounds which were then placed under a mediated intramolecular Baylis-Hillman reaction and gave multiple medically important polycyclic compounds