Regioselectivity switch in chiral amine-catalysed asymmetric addition of aldehydes to reactive enals

Abstract

In this communication, we present a regioselectivity switch for the chiral amine-catalysed asymmetric addition of aldehydes to reactive enals to afford either aldol adducts or conjugate adducts in a stereoselective fashion. The unprecedented asymmetric aldol reaction of aldehydes with enals was realized by the use of a diarylprolinol catalyst, giving synthetically useful and important chiral allylic alcohols.