Catalytic Asymmetric Hydroalkylation of α,β-Unsaturated Amides Enabled by Regio-Reversed and Enantiodifferentiating syn-Hydronickellation

Here, we report an enantioselective nickel-hydride catalyzed hydroalkylation of readily accessible β-alkyl-α,β-unsaturated amides to form structurally diverse β-chiral amides. This process was proposed to proceed through an enantiodifferentiating syn-hydrometalation of nickel hydride, forming chiral alkylnickel at the β-position in which the regioselectivity is different from that with copper hydride. This regio-reversed hydronickellation process provides a complementary approach to access enantioenriched β-functionalization amides with a stereocenter at the β-position.