Highly modular P-OP ligands in asymmetric allylic substitution

A library of highly modular P-OP ligands have been evaluated in Pd-catalysed allylic substitutions with C- and N-nucleophiles. Catalyst optimisation via a variation of the phosphino and phosphite substituents led to a 'lead' catalyst, which efficiently mediated the allylic substitutions when various combinations of substrates and nucleophiles were tested. Ground-state calculations were carried out and these allowed a clearer understanding of the stereochemical outcome of the reaction. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.