Enantioselective catalytic Diels–Alder reaction of ethyl 2-benzoylacrylate with chiral bis(oxazoline)– or mono(oxazoline)–magnesium complex

The magnesium catalysed Diels–Alder reaction of 2-benzoylacrylate gave the endo-adduct enantioselectively with bis(oxazoline) 5 as a C 2 -symmetric ligand or mono(oxazoline) 4 as a non-C 2 -symmetric ligand.