Diphenylprolinol silyl ether as catalyst of an asymmetric, catalytic, and direct Michael reaction of nitroalkanes with alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes.

A catalytic enantioselective direct conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes using diphenylprolinol silyl ether as an organocatalyst has been developed. Using this methodology as a key step, short syntheses of therapeutically useful compounds have also been accomplished.