Chiral Tridentate P,N,N Ligands for Highly Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Propargylic Amination with both Primary and Secondary Amines as Nucleophiles

Chiral tridentate P,N,N ligands have been demonstrated to be highly efficient for the copper-catalyzed enantioselective propargylic amination of propargylic acetates with both primary and secondary amines as nucleophiles, affording the corresponding propargylic amines in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee for secondary amines, and up to 96% ee for primary amines). Furthermore, the present catalytic system was also effective for the more challenging aliphatic propargylic acetate substrates.