Enantioselective palladium-catalyzed insertion of α-aryl-α-diazoacetates into the O-H bonds of phenols.

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric O-H insertion reaction was developed. Palladium complexes with chiral spiro bisoxazoline ligands promoted the insertion of α-aryl-α-diazoacetates into the O-H bond of phenols with high yield and excellent enantioselectivity under mild reaction conditions. This palladium-catalyzed asymmetric O-H insertion reaction provided an efficient and highly enantioselective method for the preparation of synthetically useful optically active α-aryl-α-aryloxyacetates.