Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of Fused Tri‐ and Tetrasubstituted Aziridines: aza‐Darzens Reaction of Cyclic Imines with α‐Halogenated Ketones Catalyzed by Bifunctional Phosphonium Salt

The first enantioselective aza‐Darzens reaction of cyclic imines with α‐halogenated ketones was realized under mild reaction conditions by using amino‐acid‐derived bifunctional phosphonium salts as phase‐transfer promoters. A variety of structurally dense tri‐ and tetrasubstituted aziridine derivatives, containing benzofused heterocycles as well as spiro‐structures, were readily synthesized in high yields with excellent diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities (up to >20:1 d.r. and >99.9 % ee). The highly functionalized aziridine products could be easily transformed into different classes of biologically active compounds.