Higher enantioselectivities in thiourea-catalyzed Michael additions under solvent-free conditions

Enantioselective Michael additions catalyzed by hydrogen-bonding catalysts produce many important compounds. Solvent-free reaction conditions in a ball mill can provide an improved enantioselectivity over the reaction in solution, due to lack of disruptive solvation of reagents. A range of 15 structurally different hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts were tested in two Michael additions to β-nitrostyrene under solvent-free conditions and compared with corresponding experiments in solution. With several thiourea catalysts, these Michael additions proceeded with higher enantioselectivities under solvent-free conditions than in solution.