Asymmetric conjugate additions of α-substituted-α-cyanoacetates to acetylenic ketones by chiral phase transfer catalysis

Asymmetric conjugate addition of α-substituted-α-cyanoacetates to acetylenic ketones has been achieved with high enantioselectivity and moderate E/Z selectivity under the influence of our recently designed, binaphthyl-modified 3,5-bis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]phenyl substituted phase transfer catalyst.