Design and synthesis of new bidentate phosphoramidite ligands for enantioselective copper-catalyzed conjugate addition of diethylzinc to enones

Several thioaryl- and phosphino-phosphoramidite ligands have been synthesized from commercially available beta-aminoalcohols. This new family of bidentate ligands are highly active in the enantioselective copper-catalyzed conjugate addition of diethylzinc to both cyclic and acyclic enones showing moderate to good enantiomeric excesses of up to 81%. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.