Polymer-supported and polymeric chiral guanidines: preparation and application to the asymmetric Michael reaction of iminoacetate with methyl vinyl ketone.

Polymer-supported and polymeric chiral guanidines carrying an imidazolidine skeleton are designed as polymer-based base catalysts. Thus, (R)-2-[(S)-1-hydroxymethyl-2-phenylethylimino]-4-phenylimidazolidine was newly prepared from (R)-phenylglycine as the key functional unit of these guanidines. Application of the polymer-based chiral guanidines to the asymmetric Michael reaction of t-butyl diphenyliminoacetate with MVK led to expected asymmetric induction in the Michael adduct with moderate enantioselectivity in the use of the latter polymeric chiral guanidines.