Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Phosphine Sulfides to α-Substituted β-Nitroacrylates Using Cinchona Alkaloid Amide Catalysts

Chiral phosphine-containing amino acids are useful motifs in pharmaceutical compounds. In this study, we developed the asymmetric conjugate addition of phosphine sulfides with α-substituted β-nitroacrylates to synthesize phosphine-containing amino acid precursors with chiral tetrasubstituted carbon centers. This method showed a wide substrate scope, and the obtained products were converted into various chiral compounds. The origin of the enantioselectivity was clarified by computational analysis.