Highly enantioselective Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of indoles using Sulfur-MOP ligand.

The preparation of various (R)-Sulfur-MOP ligands with aryl and alkyl substituents on sulfur, and the application of these ligands to Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of indoles is reported. The sulfur substituent served as an effective stereocontrol element, and in the case of the 2-i-PrPh substituent on sulfur, the allylation products from an array of simple and substituted indoles were obtained with high enantioselectivity (up to 95% ee).