Efficient and recyclable catalysts based on simple chiral N1-alkyl, N2-arylmethyl diamines in the Cu-catalyzed asymmetric Henry reactions

•A class of simple chiral diamines (4) were designed and synthesized.•The copper(II) complexes were efficient catalysts in the asymmetric Henry reaction.•Our results show that 4g-Cu(OAc)2 could be readily recovered and reused.•The procedure could be used to obtain large amount of β-nitroalcohol.•A possible catalytic transition state was suggested for the asymmetric Henry reaction.

A class of (1R,2R)-N1-alkyl, N2-(4-chlorobenzyl)cyclohexane-1,2-diamines (4) were designed and synthesized. They were used to form the corresponding copper(II) complexes, 4-Cu(OAc)2, as chiral catalysts in the asymmetric Henry reaction of benzaldehyde and nitromethane, in which the desired product was obtained with a good yield (up to 99%) and up to 96% ee. The optimized catalyst, 4g-Cu(OAc)2, was also found efficient in the asymmetric Henry reaction between different aldehydes (aromatic aldehydes or aliphatic aldehydes) and nitromethane. Upon scaling up to gram quantities, the β-nitroalcohol was obtained in good yield (91%) with excellent selectivities (93% ee). The recycled catalyst, 4g-Cu(OAc)2, worked well up to three catalytic runs with marginal loss in yield and the enantioselectivity of the product was retained. It is believed that this procedure provides an opportunity to facilely synthesize large amounts of enantiomerically enriched β-nitroalcohol. A possible catalytic transition state for the asymmetric Henry reactions with our catalyst was suggested.

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