Asymmetric conjugate addition of silyl enol ethers catalyzed by tethered bis(8-quinolinolato) aluminum complexes

New chiral tethered bis(8-quinolinolato) (TBOx) aluminum(III) complexes effectively catalyze the highly enantioselective Mukaiyama-Michael reaction of silyl enol ethers, including tetrasubstituted enolates that give rise to enantioenriched -carbonyl all-carbon-substituted quaternary stereocenters. The present catalyst also promotes the conjugate addition of N-benzylindole to alpha,beta-unsaturated acylphosphonates with high enantioselectivity (indole Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction).