Catalytic Enantioselective Aza‐Reformatsky Reaction with Cyclic Imines

Abstract

Abstract A catalytic highly enantioselective aza‐Reformatsky reaction with cyclic aldimines and ketimines for the synthesis of chiral β‐amino esters with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities is reported. A readily available diaryl prolinol is used as a chiral ligand, ZnMe 2 as a zinc source and ethyl iodoacetate as reagent in the presence of air atmosphere. The reaction with cyclic ketimines generates a quaternary stereocenter with excellent levels of enantioselectivity. Furthermore, five‐membered N ‐sulfonyl ketimines were used as electrophiles with good enantiomeric excesses, under the optimized reaction conditions. Moreover, several chemical transformations were performed with the chiral β‐amino esters.