Enantioselective construction of highly substituted pyrrolidines by palladium-catalyzed asymmetric [3+2] cycloaddition of trimethylenemethane with ketimines.

The transition-metal catalyzed trimethylenemethane [3+2] cycloaddition provides a direct route to functionalized heterocycles. Herein, we describe a protocol for the reaction between 1-cyano-2-((trimethylsilyl)methyl)allyl acetate and a series of ketimines to generate highly substituted pyrrolidines. This methodology showcases a catalytic, asymmetric addition of a carbon nucleophile to ketimines, examples of which are still rare. The corresponding pyrrolidines were obtained in excellent yields and selectivities making use of our novel phosphoramidite ligands L2-L3.