The novel pyrrolidine-diaminomethylenemalononitrile organocatalyst 7 promotes the asymmetric conjugateaddition of a carbonyl compound to a nitroalkene to afford the corresponding adduct in high yield with up to 99% ee, under solvent-free conditions.
A novel N,N-dibenzyl diaminomethylenemalononitrile organocatalyst efficiently promotes asymmetric Henry reactions of trifluoromethyl enones with nitromethane, affording the corresponding highly functionalized products in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 90% ee).
Asymmetricconjugate additions of phosphonates to trans-crotonophenone and chalcone derivatives using a diaminomethylenemalononitrile organocatalyst resulted in the generation of the corresponding chiral γ-ketophosphonates in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee). This report is the first successful example of asymmetric 1,4-additions of phosphonate to α,β-unsaturated ketones