Iron-Catalyzed Dioxygen-Driven C-C Bond Formation: Oxidative Dearomatization of 2-Naphthols with Construction of a Chiral Quaternary Stereocenter

Iron(salan) complex 1 was found to catalyze the oxidative dearomatization of 1-substituted 2-naphthols with the formation of an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter in air in the presence of nitroalkanes, to afford the corresponding cyclic enones with high enantioselectivity of 88-96% ee.