Reversible 1,3-anti/syn-stereochemical courses in copper-catalyzed γ-selective allyl-alkyl coupling between chiral allylic phosphates and alkylboranes.

The stereochemical courses of the copper-catalyzed allyl-alkyl coupling between enantioenriched chiral allylic phosphates and alkylboranes were switchable between 1,3-anti and 1,3-syn selectivities by the choice of solvents and achiral alkoxide bases with different steric demands. The reactions with γ-silylated allylic phosphates allow efficient synthesis of enantioenriched chiral allylsilanes with tertiary or quaternary carbon stereogenic centers. Cyclic and acyclic bimodal participation of alkoxyborane species in an organocopper addition-elimination sequence is proposed to account for the phenomenon of the anti/syn-stereochemical reversal.