Michael Addition of Nitroalkanes to Nitroolefins

Significance

1,3-Dinitro compounds represent an important class of precursors to a wide range of versatile building blocks including those used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, the nitro moiety can be reduced to provide 1,3-amino products which are used in a large number of chiral ligands for asymmetric catalysis. This paper presents a lanthanum catalyst, which provides 1,3-dinitro compounds in high efficiency, enantio- and diastereoselectivity.