Cyclopropenium Enhanced Thiourea Catalysis

An integral part of modern organocatalysis is the development and application of thiourea catalysts. Here, as part of our program aimed at developing cyclopropenium catalysts, the synthesis of a thiourea-cyclopropenium organocatalyst with both cationic hydrogen-bond donor and electrostatic character is reported. The utility of the this thiourea organocatalyst is showcased in pyranylation reactions employing phenols, primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols under operationally simple and mild reaction conditions for a broad substrate scope. The addition of benzoic acid as a co-catalyst facilitating cooperative Brønsted acid catalysis was found to be valuable for reactions involving phenols and higher substituted alcohols. Mechanistic investigations, including kinetic and 1H NMR binding studies in conjunction with density function theory calculations, are described that collectively support a Brønsted acid mode of catalysis.