Chiral sodium phosphate catalyzed enantioselective 1,4-addition of TMSCN to aromatic enones

A facile enantioselective 1,4-addition of TMSCN to aromatic enones has been developed using chiral sodium phosphate. Thus, in the presence of 20 mol% of sodium salt generated in situ from (R)-3,3′-di(1-adamantyl)-1,1′- binaphthyl-2,2′-diylphosphoric acid and NaOH, β-cyano ketones were obtained in high yield (86-96%) and up to 72% ee within three hours at 80 °C in toluene.