Small organic molecules recently emerged as a third class of broadly useful asymmetric catalysts that direct reactions to yield predominantly one chiral product, complementing enzymes and metal complexes. For instance, the amino acid proline and its derivatives are useful for the catalytic activation of carbonyl compounds via nucleophilic enamine intermediates. Several important carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, including the Mannich reaction, have been developed using this approach, all of which are useful for making chiral, biologically relevant compounds. Remarkably, despite attempts, the simplest of all nucleophiles, acetaldehyde, could not be used in this way. Here we show that acetaldehyde is a powerful nucleophile in asymmetric, proline-catalysed Mannich reactions with N-tert-butoxycarbonyl (N-Boc)-imines, yielding beta-amino aldehydes with extremely high enantioselectivities-desirable products as drug intermediates and in the synthesis of other biologically active molecules. Although acetaldehyde has been used as a nucleophile in reactions with biological catalysts such as aldolases and thiamine-dependent enzymes, and has also been employed indirectly, its use as an inexpensive and versatile two-carbon nucleophile in asymmetric, small-molecule catalysis will find many practical applications.

Chiral Brønsted acid catalysis is an emerging area of organocatalysis. Since the pioneering studies of the groups of Akiyama and Terada in 2004 on the use of chiral BINOL phosphates as powerful Brønsted acid catalysts in asymmetric Mannich-type reactions, numerous catalytic asymmetric transformations involving imine activation have been realized by means of this catalyst class, including among others Friedel-Crafts, Pictet-Spengler, Strecker, cycloaddition reactions, transfer hydrogenations, and reductive aminations. More recently, chiral BINOL phosphates found application in multicomponent and cascade reactions as for example in an asymmetric version of the Biginelli reaction. With the introduction of chiral BINOLderived N-triflyl phosphoramides in 2006, asymmetric Brønsted acid catalysis is no longer restricted to reactive substrates. Also certain carbonyl compounds can be activated through these stronger Brønsted acid catalysts. In dealing with sensitive substrate classes, chiral dicarboxylic acids proved of particular value.

Chiral Brønsted acid catalysis is an emerging area of organocatalysis. Since the pioneering studies of the groups of Akiyama and Terada in 2004 on the use of chiral BINOL phosphates as powerful Brønsted acid catalysts in asymmetric Mannich-type reactions, numerous catalytic asymmetric transformations involving imine activation have been realized by means of this catalyst class, including among others Friedel-Crafts, Pictet-Spengler, Strecker, cycloaddition reactions, transfer hydrogenations, and reductive aminations. More recently, chiral BINOL phosphates found application in multicomponent and cascade reactions as for example in an asymmetric version of the Biginelli reaction. With the introduction of chiral BINOL-derived N-triflyl phosphoramides in 2006, asymmetric Brønsted acid catalysis is no longer restricted to reactive substrates. Also certain carbonyl compounds can be activated through these stronger Brønsted acid catalysts. In dealing with sensitive substrate classes, chiral dicarboxylic acids proved of particular value.

Aldehydes react with silyl ethers or the corresponding alcohols and allylsilanes in the presence of catalytic amounts of 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBA) to provide a wide range of homoallylic ethers in moderate to high yields.