Asymmetric Synthesis of Tertiary α-Hydroxylation-Cyclopentanones via Synergetic Catalysis of Chiral-at-Metal Rhodium(III) Complexes/Pyrrolidine.

Catalytic and asymmetric domino Michael/aldol reaction of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds with α,β-unsaturated ketones under the synergetic catalysis of chiral-at-metal rhodium complexes and pyrrolidine to deliver tertiary α-hydroxylation-cyclopentanones (45-89% yields with 81-99% ee and up to >20:1 dr) bearing three contiguous stereogenic centers had been established. Moreover, the scalability and practical utility of this protocol were well demonstrated by employing a gram-scale reaction and some representative transformations.