Diastereoselective and enantioselective capture of chiral zinc enolate using nitroolefins: a rapid access to chiral γ-nitro carbonyl compounds.

Highly diastereoselective and enantioselective catalytic capture of chiral zinc enolates using nitroolefins as electrophiles is described. The tandem products γ-nitro ketones were obtained in good yields with high diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. The γ-nitro ketones were readily hydrogenated to the optically enriched and diastereomerically pure chiral pyrrolidines with four contiguous stereocentres under mild conditions.