Asymmetric catalysis of Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions by chiral phosphine Lewis bases bearing multiple phenol groups.

In the Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reactions of arylaldehydes with methyl vinyl ketone, it was observed that in the presence of a catalytic amount of a chiral phosphine Lewis base (CPLB) bearing multiple phenol groups, such as CPLB1 (10 mol %), the corresponding MBH adducts could be obtained in moderate to good yields with low to moderate ee's (4-45% ee) at ambient temperature (10 degrees C) in THF.