Catalytic asymmetric Claisen rearrangement of unactivated allyl vinyl ethers.

Nearly a century after their original discovery, catalyzed enantioselective variants of the venerable Claisen rearrangement remain relatively rare. We have discovered a cooperative transition metal-Lewis acid cocatalyst system that affects highly enantio- and diastereoselective examples of archetypical Claisen rearrangements. The catalyzed rearrangements proceed using an easily prepared enantioenriched transition metal catalyst and a commercially available Lewis acid cocatalyst at ambient temperature in common solvents.