| Abstract: | Enantioselective reaction of the aldehydes 1a-g and the 1,3-dicarbonyl compound 2 in the presence of the chiral Lewis acid 5 , derived from diacetone glucose, leads in a sequential transformation consisting of a Knoevenagel condensation and an intramolecular Diels Alder reaction to the cycloadducts 4a-g with an ee value up to 88%. The selectivity is strongly dependent upon the temperature and solvent giving best results at room temperature in isodurene; in agreement with the principle of isoinversion, the ee values decrease at lower and higher temperatures. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
