Isosterically designed chiral catalysts: Rationale, optimization and their application in enantioselective nucleophilic addition to aldehydes

Proline-based N,N'-dioxide ligands were designed on the basis of isosteric approach, and were successfully applied in enantioselective nucleophilic addition to aldehydes. In the presence of 10 mol% of chiral ligand 1b, enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes provided the corresponding secondary alcohols in up to 90% isolated yield and up to 99% ee. Similarly, using 3e as chiral ligand, enantioselective arylation and alkynylation of aldehydes also proceeded readily, leading to the desired chiral alcohols in up to 92% isolated yield at 99% ee and 80% isolated yields and up to 84% ee, respectively. The current work would shed light on expanding the structure diversity in the design of chiral ligands and chiral catalysts. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.