Nitroolefins pyrrolidine synthesis

However, despite the rapid design of news CILs, successful applications in synthesis remained elusive for some time. Only in the last 2-3 years have some significant results been obtained. Leitner and co-workers in 2006 reported a high enantiomeric excess (84% ee) by using a chiral anion containing ionic liquid for an aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction (Scheme 4.11), whereas CILs with an imidazolium or a benzimidazolium unit attached to (5)-pyrrolidine have been used with success as solvents or catalysts for asymmetric aldol reactions and Michael additions to nitroolefins (ee up to 99%). ... 

Use ofenamine or iminium electrophiles. In their synthesis of spirotryprostatin B (133), Fuji and co-workers started from rac-3-prenyl-2-oxindole (149) with an interesting enantioconvergent nitroolefination affording the C3-quatemised product 151 ee 78%, Scheme 30). The proline-derived nitroenamine 150 was used with the pyrrolidine section functioning as auxiliary [135, 136]. 

Li and coworkers have studied the reaction between cyclic ketones 133 and nitroolefins 134 in the presence of the chiral pyrrolidine-thiourea bifunctional catalyst 135 (Scheme 3.41), finding that it allows an enantioselective synthesis of 3-oxa- and 3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-one derivatives 136, probably via a domino process comprising allylic displacement and Michael reactions as the key steps [90],... 

SCHEME 11.20. Addition to nitroolefins in the synthesis of various pyrrolidines. 

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