Highly enantioselective direct syn- and anti-aldol reactions of dihydroxyacetones catalyzed by chiral primary amine catalysts.

We present herein simple primary-tertiary diamine-Brønsted acid conjugates that catalyze both syn- and anti-aldol reactions of dihydroxyacetones (DHAs) with high diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. This type of organocatalysts functionally mimics all four DHA aldolases, namely L-fuculose-1-phosphate aldolase, D-tagatose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase, D-fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase, and L-rhamnulose-1-phosphate aldolase.