Organocatalytic Michael addition of indanone carboxylates to vinyl selenone for the asymmetric synthesis of polycyclic pyrrolidines

A Michael addition of racemic indanone carboxylates to vinyl selenone catalyzed by C6′hydroxyl cinchona derivatives is the key step of a synthetic sequence for a practical access to highly enantioenriched (up to 98% ee) polycyclic pyrrolidines bearing contiguous tertiary and quaternary stereocenters.