The enantioselective methods reported to date for carrying out conjugate additions of carbon- and heteroatom-centered nucleophiles to electron-deficient olefins, using small chiral organic molecules as catalysts, are reviewed. 1 Introduction 2 Organocatalytic Enantioselective Michael Reactions 2.1 Reactions Proceeding via Enamine Intermediates 2.2 Reactions Proceeding via Iminium Intermediates 2.3 Reactions Proceeding via Enamine and Iminium Intermediates 2.4 Reactions Catalyzed by Chiral Thioureas 2.5 Reactions Catalyzed by Cinchona Alkaloids 2.6 Reactions under Phase-Transfer Conditions 2.7 Reactions Catalyzed by Other Organocatalysts 3 Organocatalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Friedel-Crafts Alkylations 4 Organocatalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Hydrogen-Transfer Reactions 5 Organocatalytic Enantioselective Hetero-Michael Reactions 5.1 Sulfa-Michael Reactions 5.2 Aza-Michael Reactions 5.3 Oxa-Michael Reactions 5.4 Phospha-Michael Reactions 6 Miscellaneous Organocatalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Additions 7 Conclusions and Outlook
22 June 2007 in Angewandte Chemie International Edition