This artwork presents the basic reaction concept of the asymmetric catalytic aza-Diels–Alder/ring-closing cascade by the operation mode of a zipper. The two molecules (red: 2,4-dienal; blue: hydrazone) in this reaction are mosaicked into the two chains of the zipper. The chiral slider, the diarylprolinol-silyl ether catalyst, zips together the two molecules by sliding the hand down the chains forming the bicyclic aza-heterocyclic products in a highly stereoselective manner. More information can be found in the Communication by K. A.
Jørgensen et al. on
page 38 ff.