Chiral-at-Metal Rh(III) Complex-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Michael Addition of β-Keto Acids with α,β-Unsaturated 2-Acyl Imidazoles or Pyridine

A newly prepared chiral-at-metal Rh(III) complex-catalyzed, highly efficient enantioselective decarboxylative Michael addition of β-keto acids with α,β-unsaturated 2-acyl imidazoles or pyridine has been developed, affording the corresponding adducts in 94-98% yield with up to 96% enantioselectivity. This protocol exhibits remarkable reactivity, as the complex with a Rh(III) loading as low as 0.05 mol % can catalyze the decarboxylative Michael addition on a gram scale without loss of enantioselectivity.