Switchable Organocatalysis from N-heterocyclic Carbene-Carbodiimide Adducts with Tunable Release Temperature

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are powerful organocatalysts, but practical applications often require in situ generation from stable precursors that "mask" the NHC reactivity via reversible binding. Previously established "masks" are often simple small molecules, such that the NHC structure is used to control both catalytic activity and activation temperature, leading to undesirable tradeoffs. Herein, we show that NHC-carbodiimide (CDI) adducts can be masked precursors for switchable organocatalysis and that the CDI substituents can control the reaction profile without changing the NHC structure. Large electronic variations on the CDI (e.g., alkyl versus aryl) drastically change the catalytically active temperature, whereas smaller perturbations (e.g., different para-substituted phenyls) tune the catalyst release within a narrower window. This control was demonstrated for three classic NHC-catalyzed reactions, each influencing the NHC-CDI equilibrium in different ways. Our results introduce a new paradigm for controlling NHC organocatalysis as well as present practical considerations for designing appropriate masks for various reactions.

Influence of two carbodiimides on the bond strength of universal adhesives to dentin

The pretreatment of dentin with cross-linking agents during bonding procedures has been proposed to improve the mechanical properties of the collagen in the hybrid layer and reduce the biodegradation of the adhesive interface. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of pretreatment with two carbodiimides on the dentin bond strength of universal adhesives, after thermocycling. Three universal adhesives in the self-etching mode were used (Single Bond Universal-SBU, Clearfil Universal-CLU and Ambar Universal-ABU). A self-etching adhesive system (Clearfil SE Bond-CSB) was used as control. Two carbodiimides, 1-ethyl-3-(3'-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), were applied for 1 min. The excess solution was removed with absorbent paper and the universal adhesives were applied. The specimens were stored for 24 h in distilled water at 37 °C or 10,000 thermal cycles (5-55 °C, 30 s) and then were prepared for microtensile bond strength test (n  =  4 teeth, average of 21 sticks per group). Data were analyzed using three-way ANOVA and Tukey's (α  =  5%). After 24 h, SBU and CSB had statistically similar bond strength values for the control groups (22.07  ±  9.03 and 19.82  ±  7.28 MPa), with EDC (30.21  ±  11.30 and 19.67  ±  5.36 MPa) and DCC (30.12  ±  13.43 and 19.82  ±  7.28 MPa) pretreatments (p  >  0.05). The use of EDC (32.57  ±  9.60 MPa) and DCC (24.71  ±  9.87 MPa) showed statistically higher bond strength for CLU than for the control group (14.62  ±  6.16 MPa; p  <  0.05). After thermocycling, the SBU, CLU, and CSB groups showed statistically similar bond strengths with the use of EDC (27.08  ±  8.44; 18.74  ±  5.41; and 24.55  ±  10.43 MPa) and without the use of cross linkers (20.06  ±  7.99; 22.55  ±  9.04; and 26.54  ±  10.13 MPa; p  >  0.05). Groups tested after 24 h in distilled water presented higher bond strength than those submitted to thermocycling. It can be concluded that the use of cross linkers influenced the immediate bond strength of the universal adhesives, and this was dependent on the combination of the adhesive system and type of carbodiimide. The use of EDC increased the immediate bond strength of CLU. DCC increased the bond strength of ABU at 24 h, but the values were lower than those of the control group after aging for three out of the four adhesives.