10.1039/b911476a
The research focuses on developing a novel class of enantiopure carbene precursors based on camphor, an inexpensive and readily available chiral starting material. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of these new carbene precursors in catalytic reactions, particularly in enantioselective transformations. The researchers synthesized several carbene precursors (5a–c) from camphor-derived diamine 3 using standard transformations with reagents such as MesCH2Cl, benzaldehyde, and anthracene-9-carbaldehyde. They also prepared salt 7 by reacting amine 6 with 2,4,6-trimethylbenzyl chloride. The carbenes derived from these precursors were tested in a formal [2+2] reaction of ketenes and aldehydes, yielding optically active β-lactones with good enantiomeric excess (ee) values, up to 92% ee in some cases. This study concludes that these new carbenes, with their unique structural features, can effectively catalyze enantioselective reactions, offering a promising avenue for asymmetric catalysis. Future work will involve exploring these carbenes as ligands in metal-catalyzed reactions.