Cobalt-catalyzed atom-economical, diastereo- and enantioselective coupling of aldimines and cyclopropanols

Catalytic generation of cobalt enolates through ring-opening of easily accessible cyclopropanols, subsequent β-hydride elimination and site-selective reinsertion followed by diastereo- and enantioselective additions to aldimines is presented. Such a process represents an unprecedented reaction pathway of cobalt homoenolates, affording a wide range of β-amino-ketones in up to 95% yield, 90:10 dr and 99:1 er without the need of any stoichiometric amount of additive or reagent.