Enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of aldehydes to nitroethylene: efficient access to gamma2-amino acids.

Enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of aldehydes to nitroethylene catalyzed by (S)-diphenylprolinol silyl ether provides beta-substituted-delta-nitroalcohols in nearly optically pure form (96-99% ee). The Michael adducts bear a single substituent adjacent to the carbonyl and can be efficiently converted to protected gamma2-amino acids, which are essential for the systematic conformational studies of gamma-peptide foldamers.