Enantioselective Organocatalytic Diels-Alder Reactions

Enantioselective organocatalytic asymmetric Diels-Alder­ reactions provide a facile and efficient route to optically active functionalized cyclohexenes, which can be further transformed into a variety of important organic compounds. A variety of small organic molecules such as prolines, imidazolidinones, chiral Brønsted­ acids, guanidines, carbenes and Cinchona alkaloids can be used as different catalyst systems to induce enantioselectivity in the reaction. This review provides an overview of the history of the asymmetric organocatalyzed Diels-Alder reaction.