Palladium-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition to Give Aspartic Acid Derivatives

Significance

In related work, the groups of Hii and Sodeoka have reported asymmetric addition reactions of aromatic amines to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds such as N-alkenoyl oxazolidinones or N-alkenoyl carbamates catalyzed by cationic BINAP-palladium complexes (Adv. Synth. Catal. 2006, 348, 587; Org. Lett. 2004, 6, 1861). In the present study, the authors utilize dicationic palladium complex 1 in conjugate addition reactions of aromatic amines to fumaryl pyrrolidinone to afford after hydrolysis aspartic acid derivatives in very good yields and enantiomeric ratios.