Cinchona alkaloids induce asymmetry in the insertion reaction of thermally generated carbenes into N-H bonds

Ammonium ylides generated in situ from phenyldiazoacetates and anilines undergo asymmetric N-H insertion reactions catalyzed by cinchona alkaloids (1 mol %), affording phenylglycines up to 74% ee. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.