facilitate for the first time the intramolecular aza- and oxa-Michael reactions of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids. The combination of an arylboronic acid with a chiral aminothiourea allowed for these reactions to proceed successfully in an enantioselective manner to afford the desired heterocycles in high yields and ee’s (up to 96% ee). The overall utility of this dual catalytic system was demonstrated by
Tuning the organocatalyst: An unprecedented enantioselective intramolecular oxa‐Michael reaction of unactivated α,β‐unsaturated amides and esters catalyzed by a powerful hydrogen‐bond‐donating organocatalyst has been developed. Furthermore, the products obtained from this reaction have been used for the straightforward asymmetric synthesis of several natural products and biologically important compounds