Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of polysubstituted cyclohexa-1,3-dienes from β-branched α,β-alkenals

3-Methyl- and 3-phenylbut-2-enal in the presence of (S)-prolinol (0.1 eq.) in benzene or THF react with the acidic monoesters of alkenylidene, and arylmethylidene-, and alkylidenemalonic acids at –10 to +22 °C to give optically active esters of 4,6-disubstituted cyclohexa-1,3-diene-l-carboxylic acids in moderate (10–43 %) yields. The enantiomeric purity of the products formed from the lint two types of acidic ylidenemalonates varies from 28 to 68 % and is higher than that observed in the case of related alkylidenemalonates. Under similar conditions cyclohexylideneacetaldehyde affords optically active derivatives of 1,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydronaphthalene as mixtures ofcis andtrans isomers. The enantiomeric purity and absolute configuration of the cyclohexadienes thus obtained were determined using¹H NMR spectroscopy in combination with chiral solvating agents.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 663–669, March, 1996.