Highly enantioselective Michael addition of aldehydes to nitroolefins catalyzed by primary amine thiourea organocatalysts

Asymmetric Michael addition reactions of aldehydes to nitroolefins have been successfully initiated by a series of primary amine thiourea bifunctional catalysts, with high enantioselectivities (90–98% ee) and excellent yields (80–96%). The privileged quinine scaffold was found to be essential to the reaction efficiency and enantioselectivity.