Enantioselective Multicomponent Condensation Reactions of Phenols, Aldehydes, and Boronates Catalyzed by Chiral Biphenols.

Chiral diols and biphenols catalyze the multicomponent condensation reaction of phenols, aldehydes, and alkenyl or aryl boronates. The condensation products are formed in good yields and enantioselectivities. The reaction proceeds via an initial Friedel-Crafts alkylation of the aldehyde and phenol to yield an ortho-quinone methide that undergoes an enantioselective boronate addition. A cyclization pathway was discovered while exploring the scope of the reaction that provides access to chiral 2,4-diaryl chroman products, the core of which is a structural motif found in natural products.

Enantioselective synthesis of 1,2-dihydronaphthalene-1-carbaldehydes by addition of boronates to isochromene acetals catalyzed by tartaric acid.

Tartaric acid is an ideal asymmetric catalyst as it is abundant, cheap, and environmentally friendly. (+)-Tartaric acid was found to catalyze a novel enantioselective [4 + 2] cycloaddition of isochromene acetals and vinylboronates. A variety of substituted isochromene acetals were tolerated, furnishing the desired dihydronaphthalenes and dihydrobenzofluorene products in good yields. High enantiomeric ratios (up to 98.5:1.5) and excellent diastereoselectivities (all >99:1) were observed employing 10 mol % of (+)-tartaric acid as the catalyst, in combination with 5 mol % of Ho(OTf)3.