Recent Developments in Highly Stereoselective Michael Addition Reactions Catalyzed by Metal Complexes

Achieving high enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity simultaneously­ is a rather challenging task for asymmetric catalytic synthesis­. Thanks to the rapid development of asymmetric transition-metal catalysis, significant progress has been made during recent years in achieving highly enantio- and diastereoselective conjugate addition reactions with a diverse combination of Michael donors and acceptors. This short review surveys the advances in transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric diastereoselective Michael addition including diastereodivergent catalysis developed between 2015 and 2019. The review is divided into multiple parts according to the type of nucleophiles involved in the reaction. 1 Introduction 2 Addition of Functionalized Ketones and Dicarbonyl Compounds 3 Addition of Aldimino Esters and Their Cyclic Analogues 4 Addition of Indolin-2-ones 5 Vinylogous Michael Reactions 6 Other Michael Donors 7 Cascade Reactions Initiated by Michael Addition 8 Conclusion