Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydroarylation of diphenylphosphinylallenes with arylboronic acids.

Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydroarylation of diphenylphosphinylallenes with arylboronic acids proceeded in high yields with high regio- and enantioselectivity to give chiral allylphosphine oxides of up to 98% ee. The structural determination of the key intermediate, a pi-allylrhodium complex, was successful to establish the catalytic cycle of the reaction.