Catalytic enantioselective electrophilic α-hydrazination of β-ketoesters using bifunctional organocatalysts

The catalytic enantioselective electrophilic α-hydrazination promoted by chiral bifunctional organocatalysts is described. Treatment of β-ketoesters with azodicarboxylates as electrophilic amination reagents under mild reaction conditions afforded the corresponding α-amino β-ketoesters with excellent enantiomeric excesses (93–99% ee).