Stable Carbenes: From ‘Laboratory Curiosities' to Catalysis Mainstays

The past 20 years have witnessed an explosion in research in the area of stable carbenes. From laboratory curiosities, they have emerged as a front-line alternative to phosphines in metal catalysis. The range of reactivity that they enable in organocatalysis, much of it through their capability to render functional groups umpolung, is enviable. Of course, their unique properties enable them to outperform both phosphines and more traditional Lewis bases in specific transformations. This Cluster assembles leaders in the field that provide a brief introduction to the unique chemistry afforded by these species.