Enantioselective Organocatalytic Michael Additions of Oxyacetaldehydes to Nitroolefins

Alkyl and aryloxyacetaldehydes add enantioselectively to various nitroalkenes. Addition products were isolated in good yield and high enantiomeric purity (up to 96 % ee) but only mediocre synlanti ratios were achieved. The course of the reaction was investigated by mass spectrometry and by DFT calculations.