Designer chiral quaternary ammonium bifluorides as an efficient catalyst for asymmetric nitroaldol reaction of silyl nitronates with aromatic aldehydes.

Designer chiral quaternary ammonium bifluoride 1 has been prepared, and both its catalytic and its chiral efficiency have been clearly demonstrated by achieving the first catalytic asymmetric nitroaldol reaction of silyl nitronate with aldehydes. For instance, the reaction of trimethylsilyl nitronate 2 (R(1) = Me) with benzaldehyde (R(2) = Ph) in THF in the presence of (S,S)-1 (2 mol %) proceeded smoothly at -78 degrees C, giving the corresponding nitroaldol adduct 3 (R(1) = Me, R(2) = Ph) in 92% isolated yield (anti/syn = 92:8) with 95% ee (anti isomer). The method was found to be successfully applicable to other aromatic aldehydes and silyl nitronates, and a high level of anti selectivity and enantiomeric excess was constantly observed. This finding should lead to the further development of fluoride ion-catalyzed asymmetric carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions.