Bifunctional (Thio)urea–Phosphine Organocatalysts Derived from d-Glucose and α-Amino Acids and Their Application to the Enantioselective Morita–Baylis–Hillman Reaction
Novel (thio)urea–tertiary phosphines were developed for use as bifunctional organocatalysts readily available from naturally occurring molecules: saccharides and amino acids. The efficiency of the organocatalysts was demonstrated in the asymmetricMorita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction of aromatic aldehydes with acrylates. The MBH products were obtained in good yields (up to 85%) and with high enantioselectivities