Recoverable Dendritic Phase‐Transfer Catalysts that Contain (+)‐Cinchonine‐Derived Ammonium Salts

Abstract

Abstract Four new phosphorus dendrimeric phase‐transfer catalysts are prepared that contain 12 (+)‐cinchoninium salts on the surface obtained by the quaternisation of the quinuclidinic N atom. The asymmetric alkylation of a glycinate Schiff base with benzyl bromide is used as a benchmark reaction, and the dendrimeric catalyst that contains an allyl group on the O‐9 hydroxy group of the cinchonine units is the most active. The recovery and reuse of the catalyst are possible for five consecutive runs without loss of activity and with only a slight decrease in enantioselectivity. If other electrophiles are used, substituted benzyl bromides give better results than other activated alkyl bromides to afford the corresponding R amino acid derivatives. A comparison of these results with those reported previously for similar cinchoninium salts shows that dendrimers could be a better support than other polymers for this type of organocatalysis.