Wynberg suggested that the classic Betti reaction, addition of a carbon nucleophile to an imine, which had been reported to exhibit a temporally increasing reaction rate, might be a candidate for asymmetric autocatalysis. The reaction successfully produces an optically active amine product when carried out in the presence of a chiral amine catalyst (brucine, an optically pure alkaloid), but the reaction product itself was unable to serve as a catalyst in its own formation (Scheme 4). Scheme 3. Mechanism of the formose reaction revealing the role of glycolaldehyde (red) in catalyzing it own formation. Chiral C3 and C4 molecules are produced in this reaction, but the autocatalyst is achiral. Scheme 4. Wynberg's 6 early attempt at an enantioselective, autocatalytic reaction. The reaction product does not serve as a catalyst in its own formation.