N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Activation of Esters of N-Hydroxyphthalimide: A Highly Enantioselective Route to Chiral Dihydropyridinones Bearing an All Carbon Quaternary Stereogenic Center.

An N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed highly enantioselective [3 + 3] annulation reaction of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) 3,3-disubstituted acrylates and N-Ts ketimines was developed. In most cases, the desired chiral dihydropyridinone products bearing an all carbon quaternary stereogenic center could be obtained in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities (>99% ee's), which demonstrated the NHPI acrylates as a kind of excellent substrate in NHC-catalysis.