Catalytic Asymmetric Oxidative γ-Coupling of α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes with Air as the Terminal Oxidant.
Line NaesborgVasco CortiLars Astrup LethPernille H PoulsenKarl Anker JørgensenPublished in: Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) (2018)
A novel concept for catalytic asymmetric coupling reactions is presented. Merging organocatalysis with single-electron oxidation by using a catalytic amount of a copper(II) salt and air as the terminal oxidant, we have developed a highly stereoselective carbon-carbon oxidative coupling reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. The concept relies on the generation of a dienamine intermediate, which is oxidized to an open-shell activated species that undergoes highly selective γ-homo- and γ-heterocoupling reactions. In the majority of examples presented, only a single stereoisomer was formed.