Highly enantioselective [4 + 2] cycloadditions of allenoates and dual activated olefins catalyzed by N-acyl aminophosphines.

An asymmetric organocatalytic [4 + 2] cycloaddition between α-substituted allenoates and dual activated olefins using bifunctional N-acyl aminophosphine catalysts is described. The use of 2-cyano acrylate derived olefins led to the first successful incorporation of an electrophile derived from an aliphatic aldehyde into this reaction. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012