Regio- and Enantioselective Synthesis of Pyrrolidines Bearing a Quaternary Center by Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric [3+2] Cycloaddition of Trimethylenemethanes

Herein we describe the first use of disubstituted donors in the palladium-catalyzed trimethylenemethane (TMM) cycloaddition resulting in an enantioselective synthesis of highly substituted pyrrolidines. These cyanoalkyl donors 1 form all-carbon quaternary centers in a catalytic, asymmetric, and intermolecular manner uniquely using diamidophosphite ligands L2 and L3, generating synthetically important chiral building blocks in good yields and selectivities.