Asymmetric synthesis of 4,4-disubstituted 2-cyclopentenones from optically active 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides and cyanomethyllithium with formation of a quaternary chiral center

Treatment of optically active 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides having two different substituents at the 2-position, which were synthesized from unsymmetrical ketones and (R)-(−)-chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide in three steps, with cyanomethyllithium gave optically active 2-amino-1-cyano-5,5-disubstituted-1,3-cyclopentadienes with very high asymmetric induction from the sulfoxide chiral center. The products were converted to the enantiomerically pure 4,4-disubstituted 2-cyclopentenones by heating with phosphoric acid in acetic acid.