Modular Synthesis of Chiral Homo- and Heterotrisoxazolines. Improving the Enantioselectivity in the Asymmetric Michael Addition of Indole to Benzylidene Malonate

A simple approach to a diverse set of chiral trisoxazolines is described. Deprotonation of bisoxazolines 2, followed by treatment of 2-chloromethyloxazolines 3, affords chiral trisoxazolines, including chiral homo- and hetero-trisoxazolines in good to high yields. These trisoxazolines are successfully applied in the asymmetric reaction of indole with benzylidene malonate, and ee's up to 93% were obtained.