Catalytic highly enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of β-trifluoromethyl nitroalkenes. An easy and general entry to optically active β-trifluoromethyl aminesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Further optimisation results, determination of the absolute configuration of compounds 4, experimental details and copies of NMR spectra and HPLC traces. See DOI: 10.1039/c4cc07801b

In the presence of a thiourea catalyst, β-CF 3 nitroalkenes react with Hantzsch esters in a highly enantioselective fashion, giving a broad range of β-CF 3 amine precursors with a tertiary stereocentre at the β-position. This reaction represents the first general catalytic enantioselective approach to this important class of β-CF 3 amines. An easy, general and highly enantioselective entry to optically active β-trifluoromethyl amines via organocatalytic transfer hydrogenation of β-trifluoromethyl nitroalkenes is presented.