Carbene-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of γ-Keto-β-silyl Esters and Amides.

A variety of γ-keto-β-silyl esters and amides, most with extremely high enantioselectivities, were efficiently prepared via a carbene-catalyzed formal [4 + 2] annulation followed by ring opening with nucleophiles. The resulting compounds from this one-pot strategy can be easily converted into enantioenriched β,σ-dihydroxyl esters.