Organocatalytic asymmetric cascade 1,6-addition/hemiketalization/retro-Henry reaction of ortho-hydroxyphenyl-substituted p-QMs with alpha-nitroketones.

A novel organocatalytic asymmetric cascade 1,6-addition/hemiketalization/retro-Henry reaction of ortho-hydroxyphenylsubstituted p-QMs with α-nitroketones is described. A variety of novel chiral 2-(1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl)phenols are constructed for the first time with high yields (up to 92%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to > 99% ee) under mild reaction conditions. Gram-scale experiment of this process is also presented.