Development of a chiral bis(guanidino)iminophosphorane as an uncharged organosuperbase for the enantioselective amination of ketones.

Chiral bis(guanidino)iminophosphoranes were designed and synthesized as chiral uncharged organosuperbase catalysts that facilitate activation of less-acidic pro-nucleophiles. The newly developed bis(guanidino)iminophosphoranes, which possess the highest basicity among chiral organocatalysts reported to date, were proven to be a superb class of chiral organosuperbases by reaction of azodicarboxylates with 2-alkyltetralones and their analogues as the less acidic pro-nucleophiles.