Enantioselective γ-Addition-Driven Cascade of β,γ-Unsaturated Ketones by Ion-Pair Catalysis: Access to Chiral 1,3-Dioxolochroman Scaffolds

Org Lett. 2022 Jan 14;24(1):38-42. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c03567. Epub 2021 Dec 21.

Abstract

A highly enantioselective γ-addition-driven cascade of β,γ-unsaturated carbonyl compounds by bifunctional ion-pair catalysis has been developed. With this protocol, a range of functionalized chiral 1,3-dioxolochroman derivatives were prepared in high yields with superior stereoselectivities (>99% ee and >20:1 dr). The utility of this method was demonstrated by one-pot synthesis, scaled-up preparation, and facile transformation. Moreover, mechanistic investigations provided insights into the reaction pathway and the origin of chiral induction.