A silica-supported catalyst containing 9-amino-9-deoxy-9-epi-quinine and a benzoic acid derivative for stereoselective batch and flow heterogeneous reactions
A heterogeneous, silica-based catalyst containing 9-amino-9-deoxy-epi-quinine (or quinidine) and a derivative of benzoic acid was synthesized through radical thiol-ene click reaction. The acid component allows the in situ activation of cinchona amino group, acting as a bifunctional catalyst. The heterogenized catalysts efficiently promoted the reaction of ketones with trans-β-nitrostyrene, with diastereo- and enantioselectivity comparable to those of the homogeneous counterparts (dr up to 90:10 and 90 % ee). In addition, the catalyst retained a constant activity for at least four cycles.