An NHC-catalyzed [3+2] cyclization of β-disubstituted enals with benzoyl cyanides.

The NHC-catalyzed asymmetric [3+2] cyclization of benzoyl cyanides to homoenolate generated in situ from enals was reported. This methodology leads to the efficient construction of a series of chiral cyclic compounds bearing vicinal quaternary stereocenters under mild reaction conditions. Additionally, the representative large-scale and derivatization reactions of the chiral cyclic products reveal the potential synthetic utility of this protocol.