Chiral Tetraaminophosphonium Salt-Mediated Asymmetric Direct Henry Reaction

Chiral tetraaminophosphonium salts 1 possessing the phosphorus-centered [5.5]-spirocyclic core have been designed and synthesized in a single step from l-valine-derived diamine. The three-dimensional molecular structure was successfully verified by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, which also identified a secondary interaction between the phosphonium cation and chloride ion via double hydrogen-bonding. The potential of this novel onium salt as a chiral organic molecular catalyst has been demonstrated in an application to asymmetric direct Henry reaction.