New Strategies for the Development of an Asymmetric Version of the Baylis–Hillman Reaction

The development of an efficient, asymmetric variant of the Baylis–Hillman reaction for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure α-methylene-β-hydroxycarbonyl compounds (see scheme) is still a very rewarding goal. Interesting recent approaches for the solution of this problem include the use of chiral auxiliaries and bases and the thorough optimization of reaction conditions.