Enantioselective α-Amination of Acyclic 1,3-Dicarbonyls Catalyzed by N-Heterocyclic Carbene.

Herein, we describe a method for the catalytic enantioselective α-amination of α-substituted acyclic 1,3-ketoamides and 1,3-amidoesters that affords the products possessing N-substituted quaternary stereocenters with a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC). The reaction is based on the utilization of an intrinsic Brønsted base characteristic of NHC that enables the catalytic formation of a chiral ion pair comprising the enolate and the azolium ion. A series of challenging open-chain α-substituted 1,3-dicarbonyls are aminated via this method with ee's of ≤99%.