The first example of the direct asymmetric conjugate addition of aldehydes to a methylenemalonate promoted by an axially chiral amino diol catalyst

Abstract

A methylenemalonate could be employed as a reactive equivalent of a three carbon Michael acceptor such as acrylate in a direct asymmetric conjugate addition of aldehydes catalyzed by an axially chiral amino diol. The obtained conjugate addition product was readily converted to synthetically useful and important chiral building blocks.