Enantioselective Organo Catalytic 1,4-Addition of Electron-Rich Benzenes to Unsaturated Aldehydes

The current trend for using organic catalysts rather than metals continues. One of the pioneers in this field, the group of MacMillan at CalTech Pasadena has now found that dimethylamino benzenes will react with a-b-unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of an amine to give high yields of coupled products with a high degree of functionality (Paros N A et al, J Am Chem Soc, 2002, 124, 7894).