Enantioselective Construction of Single and Vicinal All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters through Ion-Pair-Catalyzed 1,6-Conjugate Addition

Org Lett. 2021 Sep 17;23(18):7248-7253. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c02640. Epub 2021 Aug 30.

Abstract

An asymmetric 1,6-conjugate addition to presynthesized δ-aryl-δ-cyano-disubstituted para-quinone methides through bifunctional phosphonium-amide-promoted ion-pair catalysis for acyclic all-carbon quaternary stereocenter construction has been described. Both acyclic and cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls participate in the asymmetric alkylation reaction, furnishing a wide array of diarylmethanes bearing a single acyclic quaternary carbon stereocenter or vicinal cyclic and acyclic quaternary carbon stereocenters with high efficiency and excellent stereoselectivity. Computational studies elucidate the origin of the enantioselectivity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't