Bis(pyrazolyl)alkanes
are a prolific class of
ligands for catalysis, accessible by the condensation between bis(pyrazolyl)methanones and carbonyls. In this report,
we describe a nucleophile-catalyzed innovation on this condensation
that avoids the transition metals, high temperatures, reagent excess,
and air-sensitive reagents common among the existing protocols. Significantly,
this method accommodates sterically hindered and electronically diverse
pyrazoles and aldehydes, applicable for systematic ligand optimization.
Furthermore, our scope includes azoles and bridging functional groups
previously unreported for this reaction, promising for new heteroscorpionate
catalysts. We provide the first direct evidence for an elusive reaction
intermediate and characterize the most complete mechanism for this
condensation.