AbstractAn asymmetric organocatalytic nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of azlactones with electron-deficient aryls was established. A variety of α-aryl α-alkyl α-amino acid esters and peptides were obtained in decent yields and stereoselectivities. A new bifunctional catalytic mode involving charge-transfer interaction and hydrogen bonding is proposed to explain the enantioselectivity.
Direct Catalytic
N
‐Alkylation of α‐Amino Acid Esters and Amides Using Alcohols with High Retention of Stereochemistry