1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU)

DBU, systematically called 1,8-diazabicyclo [5.4.0] undec-7-ene, is a widely used organic base. DBU is a colorless liquid that is miscible with water in all proportions.

Due to its good solubility in many organic solvents, DBU is used as a non-nucleophilic base. This usually involves deprotonation of relatively acidic C-H compounds, such as esters of malonic acid. DBU is also used in coordination chemistry as a weakly coordinating ligand or as a catalyst in chemical reactions. An example of a reaction that can be catalyzed by DBU is the Baylis-Hillman reaction.