Enantioselective carbenoid insertion into phenolic O-H bonds with a chiral copper(I) imidazoindolephosphine complex.

The enantioselective O-H carbenoid insertion reaction with a new chiral copper(I) imidazoindolephosphine complex has been developed. The chiral copper(I) complex catalyzed the insertion of carbenoids derived from α-diazopropionates into the O-H bonds of various phenol derivatives to give the corresponding α-aryloxypropionates with up to 91% ee.