Construction of adjacent quaternary and tertiary stereocenters via an organocatalytic allylic alkylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates

Racemic Baylis-Hillman carbonates can be converted in densely functionalized products by reaction with cyano esters in the presence of a catalytic amount of a modified Cinchona alkaloid in high enantioselectivities and fair diastereoselectivities. A rational for the observed stereoselectivity is presented.