A Facile Preparation of N-Heterocyclic Olefins: Ring-Opening Polymerization of β-Butyrolactone and Frustrated Lewis Pair Reactivity**

Abstract

A direct synthesis of N-heterocyclic olefins (NHOs) and their mesoionic congeners (mNHOs) from N-heterocyclic carbenes and N-aziridinylimines is reported. The reaction provided diverse functionalized (m)NHOs and π-extended analogues. The prepared NHOs initiated the ring-opening polymerization of β-butyrolactone, and insertion of aldehyde and nitrile into an NHO-B(C6F5)3 adduct was demonstrated. © 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.