Catalytic Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Mercaptans to β‐Substituted‐β‐Trifluoromethyl Oxazolidinone Enoates: Access to Chiral Trifluoromethylated Tertiary Thioethers and Thiols

The first asymmetric conjugate addition of mercaptans to β‐substituted‐β‐trifluoromethyl oxazolidinone enoates has been developed. The opposite enantiomers of adducts, containing a trifluoromethylated hetero‐quaternary stereogenic centers, could be obtained by utilizing two pseudo‐enantiomeric Cinchona alkaloid‐derived tertiary amine/squaramides as catalysts. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate was found to accelerate the reaction rate without compromising the enantioselective excess. A variety of chiral trifluoromethylated tertiary thioethers and thiols were readily prepared with excellent enantioselectivity.