Peptide-catalyzed 1,4-addition reactions of aldehydes to nitroolefins.

Conjugate addition reactions of aldehydes to nitroolefins provide synthetically useful gamma-nitroaldehydes. Here we summarize our research on peptide-catalyzed conjugate addition reactions of aldehydes to differently substituted nitroolefins. We show that peptides of the general type Pro-Pro-Xaa (Xaa = acidic amino acid) are not only highly active, robust and stereoselective catalysts but have also remarkable chemoselectivities.