Enantioselective allylation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with allyltrichlorosilane catalyzed by METHOX.

α,β-Unsaturated aldehydes 6a–j undergo an enantioselective allylation with allylic trichlorosilanes 2a,b in the presence of METHOX (4) as a Lewis basic catalyst (≤10 mol %) to produce the homoallylic alcohols 7a–l at good to high enantioselectivity (83–96% ee). This study shows that the reactivity scope of METHOX can be extended from aromatic to nonaromatic aldehydes.