In Part I, (4S,5R)-4,5-dimethyl-4-phenylcyclohex-2-enone (19a) was prepared in 73% yield with high enantio- and diastereo-selectivity (er > 98:2, dr > 20:1) on a multigram scale by a Yamada-Otani condensation between (E)-pent-3-en-2-one and 2-phenylpropanal catalyzed by a sulfonimide derivative of (S)-proline (18, HuaCat®). Synthetically useful transformations of the cyclohexenone product 19a...
The development of a proline sulphonamide-catalysed method for enantioselective and diastereoselective construction of functionalized cyclohexenones is described. Impact of catalyst structure as well as solvent effects and additives are explored. A significant substrate scope is demonstrated by variation of both the aldehyde and the enone components. Diastereoselective derivatization of the...