Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation with a γ-Butyrolactone-Derived Silyl Ketene Acetal.

Herein, we report a Cu-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation using a γ-butyrolactone-derived silyl ketene acetal. Critical to the development of this work was the identification of a novel mono-picolinamide ligand with the appropriate steric and electronic properties to afford the desired products in high yield (up to 96 %) and high ee (up to 95 %). Aryl, aliphatic, and unsubstituted allylic chlorides bearing a broad range of functionality are well-tolerated. Spectroscopic studies reveal that a CuI species is likely the active catalyst, and DFT calculations suggest ligand sterics play an important role in determining Cu coordination and thus catalyst geometry.