Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalyzed Desymmetrization of Cyclopentendiones via Friedel-Crafts Conjugate Addition of Indolizines.

An organocatalytic highly diastero- and enantioselective Friedel-Crafts conjugate addition of indolizines to prochiral cyclopentenediones has been successfully developed. This desymmetric transformation provides a direct access to the desired indolizine-substituted cyclopentanediones in yields of 62-91% and excellent stereoselectivities. The utility of the approach was demonstrated by diverse late-stage functionalizations through reduction or oxidation. Importantly, the direct sp2 C-H functionalization with nitromethane in one-pot process resulted in the indolizine-linked axially chiral styrene bearing a remote chiral center.