An enantioselective oxa-Michael–Henry reaction of substituted salicylaldehydes with nitroolefins that proceeds though an aromatic iminium activation (AIA) has been developed by using a chiral secondary amine organocatalyst and salicylic acid as a co-catalyst. The corresponding 3-nitro-2H-chromenes were obtained in moderate-to-good yields with up to 91% ee under mild conditions. Based on the experimental
Efficient kinetic resolution of racemic 3-nitro-2H-chromenes by bifunctional thiourea afforded optically active (R)-3-nitro-2H-chromene derivatives with moderate to good enantioselectivities, which simultaneously gave the multifunctional 3,4-diphenyl-3a-nitrobenzopyrano-[3,4-c]-pyrrolidine-1,1-dicarboxylate derivatives with four vicinal chiral carbon centers.