Scandium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Addition of α-Cyanoketones to Imines

Significance

The authors report a catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction of α-cyano­ketones and Boc imines with a amide ligand/Sc catalyst, generating consecutive all-carbon quaternary and trisubstituted stereocenters in a highly stereoselective manner. It is noteworthy that precomplexation of ligand and metal is not required and the reaction can be run with ‘one-shot’ addition of all reaction components because the present catalysis proceeds through an ordered association of substrate/ligand and Sc from a conglomerate mixture.