The N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) now hold a preferredligand status in organic and organometallic chemistry. Their role in catalysis continues to grow. When the editorial staff at the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry contacted me to act as a guest editor for the thematic series “N-Heterocyclic carbenes”, I was more than happy to accept what appeared to me to be a simple and exciting endea...

In this short review definition, mechanism, and recent developments of the Stetter reaction, in period last ten years from 2011 to 2021 are presented. This reaction comprises N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed umpolung aldehydes followed by their capturing with activated carbon-carbon double bonds (Michael acceptors). work includes also progresses inter-molecular intra-molecular versions en...

Many mutagenic heterocyclic amines (HAs) have been isolated from cooked foods and pyrolysates of amino acids and proteins, and the carcinogenicity of 10 of these HAs in rodents and of 1 in monkeys has been reported. Quantification of these carcinogenic HAs in various kinds of cooked foods indicated that the level of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) was highest (0.56-69.2 n...

A novel and convenient strategy to separate, recover and reuse N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts in transesterification reactions has been developed.

A Pd(0)-catalyzed intramolecular Heck-type reaction of oxime ether has been developed, providing convenient access to heterocyclic oximes.

Controlling the reactivity and stability of graphene-supported Ru NPs by modifying their surface with pyrene-tagged N -heterocyclic carbene ligands.

Correction for ‘Advances in chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbene boryl radicals’ by Tsuyoshi Taniguchi, Chem. Soc. Rev. , 2021, DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00385b.

The reactions of nickel(0) complexes with phosphine, bipyridine-type, and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands aryl, vinyl, alkyl halides is reviewed.

Benzylcyanide and 4-nitrobenzylcyanide condensed with triethyl orthoformate and piperidine or morpholine to yield 2-aryl-2-piperidinyl or 2-morpholinylacrylonitriles. These coupled with aromatic diazonium salts to yield the 2-arylhydrazno-2-arylethane nitriles in good yields. The latter were converted into 4-aminopyrazoles in good yields using the Thorpe-Ziegler cyclization.

The synthesis, characterisation and catalytic behaviour of ruthenium indenylidene complexes bearing an N-heterocyclic carbene and triisopropylphosphite are described.