Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.130, No.2, 404-404, 2008
An enantioselective organocatalytic oxidative dearomatization strategy
We have developed a catalytic enantioselective strategy for chemical synthesis wherein flat aromatic molecules are directly converted to complex nonremmic molecular arch lectures. The process Involves oxidative dearomatization of substituted phenols followed by a desymmebrizing secondry amine-catalyzed asymmetric intermolecular Michael addition and reveals a declin structure formed with exquisite control of three now streogenic centers and an array of exploitable orthogonal functionality directly from a flat molecule that is devoid or architectural complexity.