Thiourea-catalyzed Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction

Abstract Here, we describe our studies on the thiourea-catalyzed Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction. Chemoselective activation of carbonyl compounds via hydrogen bonding to thiourea as a catalyst is the key to drastic rate acceleration of this reaction. The application of chiral bis-thiourea-type organocatalysts, which can form a chiral double hydrogen-bonding network, is effective for enantioselective MBH reaction. A cooperative system of bis-thiourea compounds, synthesized from 1,2-diaminocyclohexane, and a Lewis base effectively promotes the MBH reaction at lower temperature, affording the MBH adducts in 33–95% yield with 44–90% ee. A plausible transition state model of the enantioselective MBH reaction is presented.