Supramolecularly organocatalyzed C-C bond formation under "on-water" conditions or inside nanocavities

During the last years and with the advent of green and sustainable chemistry, a particular attention has been paid to the development of new and efficient synthetic strategies able to mimic the attractive levels of performance, selectivity and specificity observed in biological processes. 1,2 In this context, the use of water as a reaction medium and the design of "artificial" enzymes with the attractive features of natural ones but without the drawbacks of their intrinsic vulnerability and poor substrate versatility, represent promising fields. 3,4 We report here our recent studies on these two issues based on the use of calixarene derivatives. In fact, their remarkable hydrophobicity and their recognition abilities make them valid organocatalysts for the vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction under "on-water" conditions 5,6 and provide a nano-environment to efficiently conduct 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones to ,-unsaturated aldehydes.