Design, synthesis, and applications of potential substitutes of t-Bu-phosphinooxazoline in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric transformations and their use for the improvement of the enantioselectivity in the Pd-catalyzed allylation reaction of fluorinated allyl enol carbonates.

The design, synthesis, and applications of potential substitutes of t-Bu-PHOX in asymmetric catalysis is reported. The design relies on the incorporation of geminal substituents at C5 in combination with a substituent at C4 other than t-butyl (i-Pr, i-Bu, or s-Bu). Most of these new members of the PHOX ligand family behave similarly in terms of stereoinduction to t-Bu-PHOX in three palladium-catalyzed asymmetric transformations. Electronically modified ligands were also prepared and used to improve the enantioselectivity in the Pd-catalyzed allylation reaction of fluorinated allyl enol carbonates.