A Method for the Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral α-Azido and α-Amino Ketones from Racemic α-Bromo Ketones, and Its Generalization to the Formation of Bonds to C, O, and S.

A new and practical method has been developed for the transformation of racemic α-bromo ketones to chiral α-azido and α-amino ketones with high enantioselectivity using phase transfer, ion-pair mediated reactions with a recoverable chiral quaternary salt (10 mol %) as catalyst in fluorobenzene-water. The process has been generalized to a variety of other attachments including of C, O, S, and NHR.