Synthesis of quinazoline based chiral ligands and application in the enantioselective addition of phenylacetylene to aldehydes

Five novel 4-phenylquinazolinols were synthesised in three steps. Their application as ligands in the titanium tetraisopropoxide promoted catalytic enantioselective addition of phenylacetylene to a variety of aldehydes gave propargylic alcohols. Under the optimised reaction conditions, the best enantioselectivity was obtained using l-lactic acid derived 4-phenylquinazolinol and apart from the cyclohexylcarbaldehyde derivative, 16 propargylic alcohols were then synthesised in moderate to excellent enantiomeric excess from 53% to 97%. [Display omitted]