A Facile Preparation of N‐Heterocyclic Olefins: Ring‐Opening Polymerization of β‐Butyrolactone and Frustrated Lewis Pair Reactivity

A direct synthesis of N‐heterocyclic olefins (NHOs) and their mesoionic congeners (mNHOs) from N‐heterocyclic carbenes and N‐aziridinylimines is reported. The reaction provided diverse functionalized (m)NHOs and π‐extended analogues. The prepared NHOs initiated the ring‐opening polymerization of β‐butyrolactone, and insertion of aldehyde and nitrile into an NHO‐B(C6F5)3 adduct was demonstrated. Diverse N‐heterocyclic olefins (NHOs) were prepared by the direct reaction of NHCs or MICs with N‐aziridinylimines. The prepared NHOs’ activity in ring‐opening polymerizations and their frustrated Lewis pair reactivity were studied.