Highly Enantioselective Addition of Phenylacetylene to Aldehydes Catalyzed by a β‐Sulfonamide Alcohol–Titanium Complex

Abstract

Three simple steps were required to prepare the β-sulfonamide alcohol ligand (L*) from L-phenylalanine. Its titanium complex efficiently catalyzes the asymmetric addition of phenylacetylene (2) to aromatic aldehydes 1 to form enantiomerically pure propargyl alcohols 3. Ts=p-toluenesulfonyl, R=substituted phenyl or naphthyl group.