Catalytic Asymmetric Cycloaddition of Olefins with In Situ Generated N-Boc-Formaldimine

Chiral 1,3-amino alcohols are ubiquitous structural motifs in natural products and active pharmaceutical ingredients. We present a highly enantioselective, inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels–Alder reaction of olefins with in situ generated N-Boc-formaldimine catalyzed by strong and confined Bro̷nsted acids. This transformation provides direct access to valuable 1,3-amino alcohols from styrenes and 1,1-disubtituted alkenes. Isotope labeling studies and kinetic analysis reveal an unusual mechanism involving an oxazinium intermediate and a catalyst order greater than one.