Construction of Chiral 2‐Substituted Octahydroindoles from Cyclic Ketones and Nitroolefins Bearing only One α‐Substituent

A dual catalytic system has been developed following the screening of a series of chiral primary amine catalysts and chiral phosphoric acid catalysts for the Michael addition of cyclic ketones to nitroolefins bearing only one α‐substituent. The resulting γ‐nitro ketones, which contain a substituent on the carbon connected to the nitro group, were formed in excellent yields (>80%) with high levels of stereoselectivity (up to 94:6 dr and 98% ee ) when the reaction was performed in benzene at 0 °C with 10 mol% of the optimal amine/phosphoric acid combination (1:1) as a catalyst. Subsequent reduction of the nitro group followed by intramolecular reductive amination could afford optically active cis ‐octahydroindole analogues bearing a non‐functional substituent at their 2‐position.