Article
Article
Organocatalysis
Article By:
Dalko, Peter I. Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles, Paris, France.
Last reviewed:October 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.474980
Show previous versions
- Organic catalysts, published December 2003:Download PDF
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
The use of organic molecules to catalyze chemical reactions. The catalytic activity of nitrogen-containing aliphatic and heterocyclic organic compounds has been exploited since the early days of chemistry, for example, in acylation reactions, hydrocyanations, Aldol condensations, cycloaddition reactions, hydroborations, and phase-transfer reactions. The application of organic catalysts to asymmetric synthesis, where the reaction predominantly leads to the formation of one of the two possible enantiomers (l or d), was awarded the Nobel chemistry prize for 2021. Enantiomers that are not superimposable on their mirror images are called chiral. See also: Asymmetric synthesis; Catalysis and catalysts; Nobel Prizes for 2021; Organic synthesis; Stereochemistry
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
