Tandem acyl-Claisen rearrangement in the preparation of chiral products

A method for conducting a tandem Claisen rearrangement reaction, comprising reacting an allylic reactant with at least one acid chloride in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst composition comprising a first catalyst component composed of a Lewis acid, and a second catalyst component selected from the group consisting of tertiary amines and non-nitrogenous bases, wherein the allylic reactant is seminally di-substituted with a first substitute —C(R4R5)—Z1Q1(Q2)m and a second substituent —C(R6R7)—Z2Q3(Q4)u, wherein:

• R4, R5, R6, and R7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hybrido, halo, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, amino, substituted amino, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, heteroatoms-containing hydrocarbyl, and substituted heteroatom-containing hydrocarbyl;
• Z1 and Z2 are independently N, O or S;
• m is zero or 1, with the proviso that when Z1 is N, m is 1, and when Z1 is S or O, m is zero;
• n is zero or 1, with the further proviso that when Z2 is N, n is 1, and when Z2 is S or O, n is zero;
• and
• Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, heteroatom-containing hydrocarbyl, and substituted heteroatoms-containing hydrocarbyl, or, when Z1 is N and m is 1, Q1 and Q2 are joined together in a ring structure or together with Z1 form an azide group, or, when Z2 is N and n is 1, Q3 and Q4 are joined together in a ring structure or together with Z2 form an azide group,
• and further wherein the molar ratio of acid chloride to the allylic reactant is selected to enable the reactant to undergo at least two successive Claisen rearrangement reactions.