Enantioselective Synthesis of Chromanones via a Peptidic Phosphane Catalyzed Rauhut–Currier Reaction

The enantioselective intramolecular Rauhut–Currier reaction has been developed using a bifunctional dipeptidic phosphane catalyst, providing a direct access to biologically active α-methylene-δ-valerolactones in high yields and enantiomeric excesses. The novel catalyst is accessible in only four steps from commercial sources and exhibits unusual binding selectivities for a small molecule, suggesting the possibility for long-range interactions between the catalyst and the substrate.