LAUSR

Abstract Following an initial screening of six common imidazolium, imidazolinium, and dithiolium salts in the presence of a base, 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IDip) and 1,3-dimesitylimidazolin-2-ylidene (SIMes) were identified as promising organocatalysts for the microwave-assisted synthesis of hydroxymethyl ketones from aldehydes and paraformaldehyde. The azolium-2-carboxylate zwitterions IDip·CO 2 and SIMes·CO 2 were then tested as single-component N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors in the hydroxymethylation of heptanal and benzaldehyde. The latter adduct was an efficient precatalyst for the two reactions. It was successfully applied to a broad range of aliphatic and aromatic substrates (14 examples, 10–97% yields).