An Unexpected Organocatalytic Asymmetric Tandem Michael/Morita–Baylis–Hillman Reaction

Simply complex: An organocatalytic tandem Michael/Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction has been developed in which secondary amine catalysts allow for a very selective, scalable synthesis of highly substituted optically active cyclohexanones (see scheme, TMS=trimethylsilyl). Mechanistic studies indicate an active role of the secondary amine catalyst in the Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction.