Synthesis of Chiral 3,4‐Disubstituted Pyrrolidines with Antibacterial Properties

Chiral aliphatic heterocycles are important structural feature of many pharmaceutical agents. Antibiotic resistance is a serious medical problem, therefore new antibacterial compounds are urgently needed. Herein, we describe synthesis of a series of 3,4‐disubstituted pyrrolidine derivatives via organocatalytic Michael addition followed by reductive cyclization. These compounds inhibited growth of standard as well as methicillin‐resistant strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Organocatalytic Michael addition of aldehydes to nitroalkenes followed by reductive cyclization afford chiral 3,4‐disubstituted pyrrolidines, which are active against methicillin‐resistant strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.