Enantioselective Nitroaldol Reaction of α-Ketoesters Catalyzed by Cinchona Alkaloids.

The article focuses on the enantioselective nitroaldol reaction of cinchona alkaloid-catalyzed alpha-ketotesters. Significantly, the nitroaldol reaction is an important class of C-C bond forming reactions that provide access to important synthetic intermediates from readily accessible nitroalkanes and carbonyl compounds. There is no broadly effective chiral organic catalyst has been developed for the direct asymmetric nitroaldol reaction eventhough effective chiral organic catalysts have been reported for enantioselective reactions. Finally, the researchers have developed the first efficient organocatalytic enantioselective nitroaldol reaction.