Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.141, No.1, 113-117, 2019
Asymmetric Catalysis Using Aromatic Aldehydes as Chiral alpha-Alkoxyalkyl Anions
We have developed a new umpolung strategy for catalytically forming a chiral alpha-alkoxyalkyl anion from an aromatic aldehyde for use in asymmetric synthesis. The reaction between aromatic aldehydes and aryl or allyl electrophiles with a silylboronate utilizing a chiral copper-N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst and a palladium bisphosphine catalyst in a synergistic manner occurred with high enantioselectivities to deliver the three-component coupling products, chiral silyl-protected secondary alcohol derivatives. Our method features the catalytic generation of enantioenriched chiral alpha-alkoxyalkylcopper(I) intermediates from aldehydes and their subsequent palladium-catalyzed stereospecific cross coupling.