Enantioselective formal (3 + 3) cycloaddition of bicyclobutanes with nitrones enabled by asymmetric Lewis acid catalysis

Abstract The absence of catalytic asymmetric methods for synthesizing chiral (hetero)bicyclo[n.1.1]alkanes has hindered their application in new drug discovery. Here we demonstrate the achievability of an asymmetric polar cycloaddition of bicyclo[1.1.0]butane using a chiral Lewis acid catalyst and a bidentate chelating bicyclo[1.1.0]butane substrate, as exemplified by the current enantioselective formal (3 + 3) cycloaddition of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with nitrones. In addition to the diverse bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes incorporating an acyl imidazole group or an acyl pyrazole moiety, a wide array of nitrones are compatible with this Lewis acid catalysis, successfully assembling two congested quaternary carbon centers and a chiral aza-trisubstituted carbon center in the pharmaceutically important hetero-bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane product with up to 99% yield and >99% ee.