Asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reaction of a ketene silyl acetal of thioester catalyzed by a binaphthol–titanium complex in supercritical fluoroform

The Mukaiyama aldol reaction catalyzed by a binaphthol-derived chiral titanium(IV) complex proceeds smoothly in an unorthodox reaction medium, supercritical fluid (SCF) such as fluoroform (scCHF3). The chemical yield and enantioselectivity of the reaction in SCFs are found to be tuned by changing the supercritical fluids, scCHF3 versus carbon dioxide (scCO2), and adjusting the matched polarities by varying the pressure of CHF3.