Organocatalytic hydroacylation of unactivated alkenes

N-Heterocyclic carbenes interact with aldehydes to generate the Breslow intermediate, a rendering of the prototypical electrophile into a nucleophile (umpolung). Recent work has indicated that these intermediates may also add to simple, unpolarized alkenes. The use of a chiral precatalyst leads to the generation of the derived adducts with high yields and very high selectivities.