Highly enantioselective phenyl transfer to aryl aldehydes catalyzed by easily accessible chiral tertiary aminonaphthol

A new chiral tertiary aminonaphthol ligand 3b served as a highly efficient ligand for the asymmetric catalytic phenyl transfer to aromatic aldehydes and a variety of chiral diarylmethanols was prepared in high ee values (ee up to 99\%) and chemical yields. The straightforward syntheses of both 3b and its enantiomer provide an excellent opportunity for large-scale applications.