A highly enantioselective epoxidation of cyclic enones with hydrogen peroxide has been developed that is catalyzed by chiral primary amine salts.

Using cinchona alkaloid-derived primary amines as catalysts and aqueous hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant, we have developed highly enantioselective Weitz-Scheffer-type epoxidation and hydroperoxidation reactions of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds (up to 99.5:0.5 er). In this article, we present our full studies on this family of reactions, employing acyclic enones, 5-15-membered cyclic enones, and α-branched enals as substrates. In addition to an expanded scope, synthetic applications of the products are presented. We also report detailed mechanistic investigations of the catalytic intermediates, structure-activity relationships of the cinchona amine catalyst, and rationalization of the absolute stereoselectivity by NMR spectroscopic studies and DFT calculations.

Chiral Brønsted acid catalysis is an emerging area of organocatalysis. Since the pioneering studies of the groups of Akiyama and Terada in 2004 on the use of chiral BINOL phosphates as powerful Brønsted acid catalysts in asymmetric Mannich-type reactions, numerous catalytic asymmetric transformations involving imine activation have been realized by means of this catalyst class, including among others Friedel-Crafts, Pictet-Spengler, Strecker, cycloaddition reactions, transfer hydrogenations, and reductive aminations. More recently, chiral BINOL phosphates found application in multicomponent and cascade reactions as for example in an asymmetric version of the Biginelli reaction. With the introduction of chiral BINOLderived N-triflyl phosphoramides in 2006, asymmetric Brønsted acid catalysis is no longer restricted to reactive substrates. Also certain carbonyl compounds can be activated through these stronger Brønsted acid catalysts. In dealing with sensitive substrate classes, chiral dicarboxylic acids proved of particular value.