Asymmetric activation of the Pd catalyst bearing the tropos biphenylphosphine (BIPHEP) ligand with the chiral diaminobinaphthyl (DABN) activator.

[reaction: see text] The enantio- and diastereomerically pure Pd complex of the tropos biphenylphosphine (BIPHEP) ligand is obtained through complexation of the enantiopure (R)-diaminobinaphthyl (DABN) with either enantiomer of the BIPHEP-Pd catalyst, followed by tropo-inversion of the less favorable (S)-BIPHEP-Pd/(R)-DABN diastereomer to the more favorable (R)-BIPHEP-Pd/(R)-DABN diastereomer. The enantiopure BIPHEP-Pd catalyst with DABN affords higher enantioselectivity and catalytic efficiency as an activated Lewis acid catalyst than the enantiopure BIPHEP-Pd catalyst without DABN.