Novel metal-free, readily available chiral catalytic systems for the enantioselective reduction of keto imines are reported. Different β-imino esters were reduced by trichlorosilane in the presence of 10 mol% of a chiral Lewis base easily obtained in one step only from prolinol, in high yields and in up to 85% enantioselectivity; imines bearing an inexpensive and removable chiral auxiliary, were reduced with complete control of the absolute stereochemistry. The methodology was successfully extended to the stereoselective synthesis of α-amino esters.
Catalyticenantioselective Mannich reactions of simple nonactivated esters proceeded using a chiral potassium strong base catalyst prepared from a chiral bisoxazoline and potassium hexamethyldisilazide. Alkyl acetates, alkyl propionates, and an alkyl butyrate were employed as the simple esters, and the desired reactions proceeded smoothly to afford Mannich products in good to high yields with high