Catalytic asymmetric alkylation of acylsilanes.

The highly enantioselective addition of Grignard reagents to acylsilanes is catalyzed by copper diphosphine complexes. This transformation affords α-silylated tertiary alcohols in up to 97% yield and 98:2 enantiomeric ratio. The competing Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction is suppressed by the use of a mixture of Lewis acid additives. The chiral catalyst can be recovered as a copper complex and used repeatedly without any loss of catalytic activity.