Room Temperature Highly Enantioselective Nickel-Catalyzed Hydrovinylation

At room temperature, nickel catalysts based on the new phosphoramidite (11bR)-N-[(S)-1-(naphthalen-1-yl)ethyl]-N-[(S)-1-(naphthalen-2yl)ethyl]dinaphtho[2,1'-d:1',2'-f] [1,3,2]dioxaphosphepin-4-amine provide excellent selectivities for 3-arylbut-1-enes (93-99%) with high enantioselectivities (90-95% ee) and TOFs (up to 8300 h(-1)) in the hydrovinylation of electron-rich and electron-poor vinylarenes. Within a few minutes, useful chiral building blocks and intermediates can be synthesized using this practical catalytic system.