Sodium Salts of Anionic Chiral Cobalt(III) Complexes as Catalysts of the Enantioselective Povarov Reaction

The sodium salts of anionic chiral cobalt(III) complexes (CCC- Na+) have been found to be efficient catalysts of the asymmetric Povarov reaction of easily accessible dienophiles, such as 2,3-dihydrofuran, ethyl vinyl ether, and an N-protected 2,3-dihydropyrrole, with 2-azadienes. Ring-fused tetrahydroquinolines with up to three contiguous stereogenic centers were thus obtained in high yields, excellent diastereoselectivities (endo/exo up to > 20:1), and high enantioselectivities (up to 95:5 e.r.).