Investigation of solvent effects on the rate and stereoselectivity of the Henry reaction.

A combined computational and experimental kinetic study on the Henry reaction is reported. The effects of solvation on the transition structures and the rates of reaction between nitromethane and formaldehyde, and between nitropropane and benzaldehyde are elucidated with QM/MM calculations.

Imidazolium carboxylates as versatile and selective N-heterocyclic carbene transfer agents: synthesis, mechanism, and applications.

N,N'-Disubstituted imidazolium carboxylates, readily synthetically available, isolable, air- and water-stable reagents, efficiently transfer N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) groups to Rh, Ir, Ru, Pt, and Pd, to give novel NHC complexes, e.g., [Pd(NHC)3OAc]OAc and [Pt(NHC)3Cl]Cl (NHC = 1,3-dimethyl imidazol-2-ylidene).

Disubstituted imidazolium-2-carboxylates as efficient precursors to N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of Rh, Ru, Ir, and Pd.

N,N'-Disubstituted imidazolium-2-carboxylates are efficient precursors to NHC complexes of Rh, Ir, Pd, and Ru.