Highly enantioselective asymmetric Darzens reactions with a phase transfer catalyst

Abstract

A class of easily accessible and readily tunable chiral phase transfer catalysts based on 6′-OH cinchonium salts was found to efficiently catalyze an unprecedented highly enantioselective Darzens reaction of α-chloro ketones and aldehydes, which directly produces optically active chiral epoxides from readily available carbonyl compounds.