Enantioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation of Prochiral α,α-Disubstituted Aldehyde Enolates for the Construction of Acyclic Quaternary Stereogenic Centers

A highly enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of prochiral alpha,alpha-disubstituted aldehyde enolates with allyl benzoate is described. This protocol provides a novel approach for the synthesis of acyclic quaternary carbon stereogenic centers and it represents the first example of the direct enantioselective alkylation of an aldehyde enolate per se. The versatility of the alpha-quaternary aldehyde products is demonstrated through their conversion to a variety of useful motifs applicable to target-directed synthesis. Finally, mechanistic studies indicate that high levels of asymmetric induction are achieved from a mixture of prochiral (E)- and (Z)-enolates, which provides an exciting development for this type of transformation.