Organocatalytic Enantioselective Henry Reactions

Abstract

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.A large number of interesting organocatalytic enantioselective protocols have been explored and successfully applied in the last decade. Among them, the Henry (nitroaldol) reaction represents a powerful carbon-carbon bond-forming procedure for the preparation of valuable synthetic intermediates, such as enantioenriched nitro alcohols, which can be further transformed in a number of important nitrogen and oxygen-containing compounds. This area of research is still in expansion and a more complex version of this useful process has recently emerged, the domino Michael/Henry protocol, affording highly functionalized cycles with multiple stereogenic centers.We thank the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Projects CTQ2009-09028 and CTQ2010-19606) and the Government of Aragón (Project PI064/09 and Research Groups, E-10) for financial support of our research. E. M.-L. thanks CSIC for a JAE-Doc postdoctoral contract. R. P. H. thanks the Aragón I + D Foundation for her permanent position.Peer Reviewe