Direct Catalytic Asymmetric Aldol Reaction of Thioamide with an α-Vinyl Appendage

The direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction is an emerging catalytic methodology that provides atom-economical access to functionalized chiral building blocks. Thioamides are useful aldol donors due to their high-fidelity chemoselective enolization and divergent post-aldol transformations. Herein we describe the incorporation of an α-vinyl appendage on a thioamide, which expands the utility of aldol adducts for natural product synthesis. This vinylated thioamide was not accommodated under the previously identified catalyst settings, but the newly developed catalytic conditions furnished aldol products containing the pendant vinyl group.