Catalytic Asymmetric Epoxidation of α-Branched Enals

An asymmetric catalytic epoxidation of alpha-branched, alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. A highly synergistic combination of a primary cinchona-based amine and a chiral phosphoric acid was found to promote the reaction with excellent enantiocontrol for alpha-monosubstituted and alpha,beta-disubstituted enals.