Asymmetric Mannich-Type Reactions of Aldimines with a Chiral Acetate.

We introduce here a strategy that enables effective addition of lithium enolates of acetates to aldimines. The new method depends strongly on the use of o-alkoxy (or o-fluoro) aniline-derived aldimines which have been found to have a potential effect on the enolate addition. This scope was expanded to the asymmetric process using the chiral acetate. A Lewis acid additive has a complementary role in the pronounced activation of imine functionalities.