Enantioselective synthesis of N-arylpyrrole aldehydes via NHC-organocatalytic atroposelective desymmetrization followed by kinetic resolution

Abstract

Axially chiral N-arylpyrrole is an important structural scaffold found in natural products, bioactive molecules, chiral catalysts and ligands. Herein, we demonstrated a new and effective platform for the atroposelective synthesis of an array of N-arylpyrrole aldehydes through a combination of NHC-organocatalytic desymmetrization and kinetic resolution. This protocol features high enantioselectivity, good functional group tolerance, mild conditions, and ease of late-stage functionalization.