Highly enantioselective organocatalytic hydroxyalkylation of indoles with ethyl trifluoropyruvate

(Chemical Equation Presented) Readily available cinchona alkaloids have been used as organocatalysts in the highly efficient stereoselective hydroxyalkylation of heteroaromatics such as indoles with 3,3,3- trifluoropyruvate (2, see scheme). High yields and ee values of both enantiomers of the products, depending on the catalyst used, indicate the usefulness of the developed methodology