A directvinylogousMichael reaction of gamma-substituted deconjugated butenolides with nitroolefins has been developed with the help of a newly identified quinine-derived bifunctional catalyst, allowing the synthesis of densely functionalized products with contiguous quaternary and tertiary stereocenters in excellent yield with perfect diastereoselectivity (>20:1 dr) and high enantioselectivity (up
switching of diastereoselectivity from high syn-selectivity (>98/2 dr, syn) to anti-selectivity (up to 96/4 dr, anti) of the asymmetric nitro-Michael reaction of furanones is described. Anti-diastereoselectivity of the nitro-Michael reaction is very rare. With 0.1–5 mol % loadings of an epi-quinine catalyst, the reaction of 5-substituted 2(3H)-furanones with nitroalkenes smoothly proceeded to give the
5-bis(CF3)benzamide in the asymmetric nitro-Michael reaction is described. With 0.1–5 mol % loadings of this catalyst, the addition of 5-substituted 2(3-H)-furanones to a wide range of nitroalkenes involving challenging substrates, β-alkylnitroalkenes, smoothly proceeded, giving the Michael adducts in high yields (>90%) with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity (>98:2 dr, syn major; 88–98% ee).