10.1021/ol2001039
The research focuses on the development of a highly enantioselective method for constructing a quaternary carbon center by catalytic enantioselective cross-aldol reactions between acetone and aryl trihalomethyl ketones, using N-(heteroarenesulfonyl)prolinamides as organocatalysts. The experiments involved the reaction of various trihalomethyl ketones (both trifluoromethyl and trichloromethyl) with acetone, utilizing N-(8-quinolinesulfonyl)prolinamide as the catalyst of choice, which was found to be highly efficient. The reactants included different aryl trifluoromethyl ketones and trichloromethyl ketones, along with acetone, and the products were analyzed for yield and enantioselectivity using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and X-ray crystallography to determine the absolute configuration of certain products. The study also employed molecular orbital calculations to elucidate the role of hydrogen bonding in exerting enantioselectivity, revealing that the interaction between the sulfonimide proton and the 8-quinolyl nitrogen atom is crucial for the reaction's selectivity.