A catalytic enantioselective Aza-Michael reaction: Novel protocols for asymmetric synthesis of β-amino carbonyl compounds

Abstract

β-Amino carbonyl functionalities are ubiquitous motifs in natural and nonnatural products such as alkaloids and polyketides. Among the reactions for the synthesis of β-amino carbonyl compounds and β-substituted β-amino acids, aza-Michael reactions using catalytic amounts of chiral Lewis acids might provide the best methods for the generation of optically active β-amino carbonyl compounds. During the last five years, the asymmetric aza-Michael reaction has emerged as a very powerful tool for the synthesis of chiral β-amino carbonyl compounds, as will be discussed in this microreview. © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005.