We report that phosphorane can activate (salen)TiCl2 complex to achieve unprecedented excellent enantioselectivity and a broad substrate scope in the cyanation of nitroolefins. Our cyanating reagent Me2(CH2Cl)SiCN proves to be more active than TMSCN in this reaction, allowing 11 β-aliphatic nitrolefins and 12 β-CF3 nitroolefins (either β-aryl or aliphatic) to work well to give the corresponding tertiary
annulation of benzoic acids with nitroalkenes was disclosed to afford a wide range of 3,4-disubstituted isochroman-1-ones with excellent regioselectivity and high catalytic efficiency. Both aromatic and aliphatic nitroalkenes participated in this cyclization reaction successfully. The synthetic value of 3,4-disubstituted isochroman-1-ones was proven by a series of derivatizations. Furthermore, a reliable