Enantioselective Addition of Thioacetic Acid to Nitroalkenes via N-Sulfinyl Urea Organocatalysis

The highly enantioselective addition of thioacetic acid to nitroalkenes using a new sulfinyl urea organocatalyst is described. The addition of thioacetic acid proceeds in high yields and enantioselectivities for a variety of aromatic and aliphatic nitroalkene substrates. This new method is useful for preparing chiral 1,2-aminothiol derivatives, as demonstrated by the first enantioselective synthesis of the clinically used antifungal drug sulconazole.