Although all commercially available DBU is produced synthetically, it may also be isolated from the sea sponge Niphates digitalis.[4] The biosynthesis of DBU has been proposed to begin with adipaldehyde and 1,3-diaminopropane.
Uses
As a reagent in organic chemistry, DBU is used as a ligand and base. As a base, protonation occurs at the imine nitrogen.[5] Lewis acids also attach to the same nitrogen.[6]
These properties recommend DBU for use as a catalyst, for example as a curing agent for epoxy resins and polyurethane.
It is used in the separation of fullerenes in conjunction with trimethylbenzene. It reacts with C70 and higher fullerenes, but not with C60.
^Kaljurand, I.; Kütt, A.; Sooväli, L.; Rodima, T.; Mäemets, V.; Leito, I.; Koppel, I. A. (2005). "Extension of the Self-Consistent Spectrophotometric Basicity Scale in Acetonitrile to a Full Span of 28 pKa Units: Unification of Different Basicity Scales". J. Org. Chem. 70 (3): 1019–1028. doi:10.1021/jo048252w. PMID15675863.
^ abE. L. Regalado; Judith Mendiola; Abilio Laguna; Clara Nogueiras; Olivier P Thomas (2010). "Polar alkaloids from the Caribbean marine sponge Niphates digitalis". Nat. Prod. Commun. 5 (8): 1187–1190. PMID20839615.
^Parviainen, Arno; King, Alistair W. T.; Mutikainen, Ilpo; Hummel, Michael; Selg, Christoph; Hauru, Lauri K. J.; Sixta, Herbert; Kilpeläinen, Ilkka (2013). "Predicting Cellulose Solvating Capabilities of Acid–Base Conjugate Ionic Liquids". ChemSusChem. 6 (11): 2161–2169. Bibcode:2013ChSCh...6.2161P. doi:10.1002/cssc.201300143. ISSN1864-5631. PMID24106149.
^Romero, Erik A.; Zhao, Tianxiang; Nakano, Ryo; Hu, Xingbang; Wu, Youting; Jazzar, Rodolphe; Bertrand, Guy (2018-10-01). "Tandem copper hydride–Lewis pair catalysed reduction of carbon dioxide into formate with dihydrogen". Nature Catalysis. 1 (10): 743–747. doi:10.1038/s41929-018-0140-3. ISSN2520-1158.