Enantioselective intramolecular hydroacylation of unactivated alkenes: an NHC-catalyzed robust and versatile formation of cyclic chiral ketones

Abstract

A highly enantioselective intramolecular N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed hydroacylation reaction gives access to a range of cyclic ketones from unactivated olefin-substituted aldehydes (up to 99 % ee). Remarkably, aliphatic aldehydes were also transformed efficiently in an NHC-catalyzed hydroacylation reaction for the first time.

Keywords: N-heterocyclic carbenes; enantioselective catalysis; hydroacylation; organocatalysis.