Ester, amide Mannich condensation

Mukund Sibi of North Dakota State University has developed (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004,126,718) a powerful three-component coupling, combining an a,(5-unsaturated amide 9, a hydroxylamine 10, and an aldehyde 11. The hydroxylamine condenses with the aldehyde to give the nitrone, which then adds in a dipolar sense to the unsaturated ester. The reaction proceeds with high diastereocontrol, and the absolute configuration is set by the chiral Cu catalyst. As the amide 9 can be prepared by condensation of a phosphonacetate with another aldehyde, the product 12 can be seen as the product of a four-component coupling, chirally-controlled aldol addition and Mannich condensation on a starting acetamide. 

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