Imidate-Phosphanes as Highly Versatile N,P Ligands and Their Application in Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation Reactions

Chiral imidate-phosphanes were developed as a new type of N,P ligands. These ligands are easily accessible through a one-step procedure starting from a commercially available chiral aminophosphane and an imidate precursor. Excellent performance of the catalyst system was observed with various carbon nucleophiles in the Pd-0-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (up to 99% yield and >99 % ee). Moreover, good to excellent enantioselectivities could also be obtained in the allylic alkylation of more difficult linear unhindered substrates and cyclic substrates, demonstrating that this new catalyst system has a broad substrate scope.