Enantioselective Aza-Reformatsky Reaction with Ketimines.

Here, an enantioselective aza-Reformatsky reaction using acyclic ketimine substrates is presented. Using α-phosphorated ketimines as electrophilic substrates and a simple BINOL-derived ligand, phosphorated analogues of aspartic acid holding chiral tetrasubstituted carbons are efficiently obtained with excellent enantioselectivity through an asymmetric organocatalytic Reformatsky-type reaction. The phosphorated analogues of aspartic acid have been used for the synthesis of phosphorus-containing enantiopure tetrasubstituted β-lactams.