Enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions with N-hydroxy-N-phenylacrylamide.

[reaction: see text] The use of hydroxamic acids as templates for Lewis acid catalyzed enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions has been examined. A very simple chiral Lewis acid, prepared by mixing optically pure binaphthol with 3 equiv of trimethylaluminum, catalyzes the [4 + 2] cycloaddition of N-hydroxy-N-phenylacrylamide with cyclopentadiene at 0 degrees C in high yield (>96%) and with a fairly good level of enantioselectivity (91% ee). Facile conversion of the products to the corresponding alcohols or aldehydes makes the hydroxamic acid intermediates particularly useful.