N-(Heteroarenesulfonyl)prolinamides-Catalyzed Aldol Reaction between Acetone and Aryl Trihalomethyl Ketones

Enantiomerically enriched trihalomethyl-substituted alcohols having a quaternary chiral carbon center can be prepared by the catalytic enantioselective cross-aldol reaction of acetone with trihalomethyl ketones by using N-(8-quinolinesulfonyl)prolinamide as an organocatalyst. The MO calculations elucidate that the hydrogen bonding between the sulfonimide proton and the 8-quinolyl nitrogen atom plays an important role in exerting the enantioselectivity of the reaction.