Table 1.

Survey of the bromide and aldehyde scope in the direct α-alkylation of aldehydes. Y, any organic substituent (alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, etc.); DMF, N,N′-dimethylformamide; Tf, triflate; Me, methyl; Et, ethyl; Hex, hexyl; Ph, phenyl; t-Bu, tert-butyl; Boc, tert-butyl carbamoyl.

^*Reactions performed with diethyl bromomalonate.

^†40 mole percent of organocatalyst 6 was employed.

^‡Reactions performed with octanal.