Nitro-enabled catalytic enantioselective formal umpolung alkenylation of β-ketoesters

Chem Sci. 2017 Sep 1;8(9):6686-6690. doi: 10.1039/c7sc02232h. Epub 2017 Aug 2.

Abstract

A formal umpolung strategy is presented for the enantioselective installation of an alkenyl group with a terminal double bond at a tertiary center. This one-pot two-step sequence relies on the unique features of the nitro group, which after inverting the polarity of the alkenylating agent toward the desired bond formation, itself serves as a leaving group. The application of this protocol to cyclic β-ketoesters results in densely functionalized products, bearing an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter including an alkenyl substituent with a terminal double bond, in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities.