A novel Fe(II)/diaryl prolinol catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with alkenes

A novel Fe(II)/diaryl prolinol catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with alkenes has been developed. In the presence of FeCl2 (10 mol %) and α,α-bis(3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl)prolinol L1 (10 mol %), [3+2] cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with electronic-deficient olefins underwent smoothly in CH3CN at room temperature to generate the desired endo-adducts in moderate to good yields and enantioselectivities. This is the first example of Fe(II)/N,O-ligand (L1) catalyzed 1,3-dipolar enantioselective cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylides.