Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.139, No.3, 1029-1032, 2017
Stereodivergent Coupling of Aldehydes and Alkynes via Synergistic Catalysis Using Rh and Jacobsen's Amine
We report an enantioselective coupling between alpha-branched aldehydes and alkynes to generate vicinal quaternary and tertiary carbon stereocenters. The choice of Rh and organocatalyst combination allows for access to all possible stereoisomers with high enantio-, diastereo-, and regioselectivity. Our study highlights the power of catalysis to activate two common functional groups and provide access to divergent stereoisomers and constitutional structures.