Benzimidazole‐pyrrolidine/H+ (BIP/H+), a Highly Reactive Organocatalyst for Asymmetric Processes

Abstract A new chiral benzimidazole‐pyrrolidine has been devised, which exhibits excellent activities in aminocatalyzed aldol reactions, leading to aldol products in high yields and enantioselectivities in the presence of an equimolar amount of a Brönsted acid. This organocatalyst has demonstrated remarkable reactivities in aldol processes even with equimolar amounts of aldehyde and ketone in THF. A discussion of the role of the Brönsted acid as a co‐catalyst is provided along with some applications of this new class of organocatalyst in Robinson annelation and α‐amination processes. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)