Multifunctional Click Prolinamides: A New Platform for Asymmetric Aldol Reactions in the Presence of Water with Catalyst Recycling

Click chemistry is combined with organocatalysis to fabricate a multifunctional C3-symmetrical dendritic prolinamide with a hydrophobic aromatic core and hydrophilic triazolinium arms that exhibit high efficiency in catalyzing the asymmetric aldol reaction with cyclic ketones. The catalyst is water-compatible and remains active for five consecutive catalytic runs with a low catalyst loading (2mol%), yielding the aldol products in high yields, diastereo- and enantioselectivities.