Existing
stereoselective routes to 2,5-cyclohexadienones involve
either desymmetrization of an achiral substrate or have attempted
to perform an asymmetric dearomatization of a phenol. Herein, we report
proof-of-principle experiments aimed at developing a kinetic resolution
as an alternative method for accessing enantioenriched 2,5-cyclohexadienones.
More specifically, chiral bifunctional thiourea catalysts were used
to promote the addition of 2-thionapthalene into unsymmetric
para
-quinols. The selectivity of the kinetic resolution
was found to be quite sensitive to substitution around the substrate.
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