Synergistic catalysis: highly diastereoselective benzoxazole addition to Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates

Chem Commun (Camb). 2014 Jul 18;50(56):7447-50. doi: 10.1039/c4cc00728j.

Abstract

An expedited method has been developed for the diastereoselective synthesis of highly functionalized alkyl-azaarene systems with good yields and high diastereoselectivities (>15 : 1 dr). The methodology includes a synergistic catalysis event involving organometallic (10 mol% AgOAc) activation of an alkyl azaarene and Lewis base (10 mol% DABCO) activation of a Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonate. The structure and relative configuration of a representative product were confirmed by X-ray analysis.