Enantioselective Decarboxylative Arylation of α-Amino Acids via the Merger of Photoredox and Nickel Catalysis

An asymmetric decarboxylative C-sp(3)-C-sp(2) cross-coupling has been achieved via the synergistic merger of photoredox and nickel catalysis. This mild, operationally simple protocol transforms a wide variety of naturally abundant alpha-amino acids and readily available aryl halides into valuable chiral benzylic amines in high enantiomeric excess, thereby producing motifs found in pharmacologically active agents.