BINOL−Salen Metal Catalysts Incorporating a Bifunctional Design

Salen metal complexes incorporating two chiral BINOL moieties have been synthesized and characterized crystallographically. The corresponding bisnaphthoxide complexes have been found to catalyze the asymmetric addition of benzyl malonate to cyclohexenone in up to 90% ee. With these modular catalysts, the Lewis acid and Bronsted base portions can be independently altered.