Chiral N,N'-Dioxide-Scandium(III)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Dearomatization of 2-Naphthols through an Amination Reaction.

A catalytic asymmetric dearomatization of 2-naphthols with azodicarboxylates has been accomplished by using a N,N'-dioxide-scandium(III) complex as a chiral catalyst. A number of optically active β-naphthalenone compounds with a nitrogen-containing quaternary carbon stereocenter were obtained in up to 99 % yield and up to 99 % ee under mild reaction conditions. The reaction could be scaled up to a gram-scale with the yield and ee maintained. Based on these experiments and on previous reports, a possible transition state was proposed.