Nickel II -catalyzed asymmetric photoenolization/Mannich reaction of (2-alkylphenyl) ketones

in achieving high stereoselectivity was elucidated. This PEM reaction was proposed to undergo a direct nucleophilic addition mechanism rather than a hetero-Diels-Alder/ring-opening sequence. A possible transition state model with a photoenolization process was proposed to explain the origin of the high level of stereoinduction.