Highly selective acetate aldol additions using mesityl-substituted chiral auxiliaries.

[reaction: see text] Highly diastereoselective acetate aldol additions using chlorotitanium enolates of mesityl-substituted N-acetyloxazolidinethione and N-acetylthiazolidinethione auxiliaries are reported. These additions proceed in high yields and diastereoselectivities (93:7 to 98:2) for aliphatic, aromatic, and ,-unsaturated aldehydes. Double diastereoselective acetate aldol additions are also reported and are found to proceed in high yields and diastereoselectivities (90:10 to 97:3).