Copper-catalyzed
[5+3] cycloaddition of N-aromatic zwitterions
and enol diazoacetates produced enantio-enriched diazocine derivatives.
A sterically encumbered BOX ligand and NaBArF additive played significant
roles in driving the overall catalytic process via the unfavorable
dearomatization to construct the desired eight-membered heterocyclic
compounds. The induced stereoselectivity was preserved after further
modifications of the skeleton, which demonstrates the potential applications
of the developed asymmetric catalysis.