(Thio)urea organocatalyst equilibrium acidities in DMSO

Org Lett. 2012 Apr 6;14(7):1724-7. doi: 10.1021/ol300307c. Epub 2012 Mar 21.

Abstract

Bordwell's method of overlapping indicators was used to determine the pK(a) values of some of the most popular (thio)urea organocatalysts via UV spectrophotometric titrations. The incremental effect of CF(3) groups on acidic strength was also investigated. The pK(a)'s are in the range of 8.5-19.6. The results may lead to a better understanding of noncovalent organocatalysis and may aid in future catalyst development.