Enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic enones using a copper phosphino-phenol complex as catalyst

Newly designed phosphino-phenol 1c was found to be an efficient chiral auxiliary for copper-mediated asymmetric conjugate addition of diethylzine to acyclic enones. High enantio selectivity up to > 99% ee was achieved in the reaction of acyclic alpha,beta-enones. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.