Enantioselective Michael addition catalyzed by chiral tripodal oxazoline–tBuOK complexes

Benzene-based tripodal oxazolines are found to be novel chiral ligands for the catalytic enantioselective Michael addition via potassium enolates. Thus, methyl phenylacetate undergoes 1,4-addition to methyl acrylate using a catalytic amount of a tBuOK–oxazoline complex in toluene at −78°C, and up to 82% ee is obtained.