Enantioselective oxysulfenylation and oxyselenenylation of olefins catalyzed by chiral Brønsted acids

This paper describes Brønsted acid catalyzed enantioselective oxysulfenylation and oxyselenenylation of olefins. Enantiomerically enriched tetrahydrofurans are formed with up to 63% ee with dibenzoyl-d-tartaric acid and its derivatives as catalyst. Chiral β-carboxyl sulfides and selenides have also been obtained with up to 50% and 84% ee, respectively, via enantioselective desymmetrization of thiiranium and seleniranium ions in the presence of catalytic amounts of chiral binaphthol derived N-triflyl phosphoramide.