Aluminum Salen Contact Ion Pair Catalyzed Synthesis of β-Lactones

Significance

β-Lactones are biologically important motifs present in a number of bioactive compounds. Additionally, β-lactones can undergo nucleophilic ring-opening reactions. A large number of asymmetric syntheses of these types of compounds provide the cis-configured product while the majority of the bioactive compounds are trans. This report provides access to a wide range of chiral β-lactones with aliphatic aldehydes.