New pyridine N-oxides as chiral organocatalysts in the asymmetric allylation of aromatic aldehydes

Asymmetric allylation of aromatic aldehydes 1 with allyltrichlorosilane (2) can be catalyzed by new terpene-derived bipyridine N,N′-dioxides 12-15 and an axially chiral biisoquinoline dioxide 17b with good enantioselectivities. Dioxides have been found to be more reactive catalysts than their monooxide counterparts.