Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Alkylarylation of Vinylarenes Enabled by Chiral Binaphthyl–BOX Hybrid Ligands

Transition-metal-catalyzed radical
relay coupling reactions have
recently emerged as one of the most powerful methods to achieve difunctionalization
of olefins. However, there has been limited success in applying this
method to asymmetric catalysis using an effective chiral ligand. Herein
we report the Cu-catalyzed enantioselective alkylarylation of vinylarenes
using alkylsilyl peroxides as alkyl radical sources. This reaction
proceeds under practical reaction conditions and affords chiral 1,1-diarylalkane
structures that are found in a variety of bioactive molecules. Notably,
a highly enantioselective reaction was accomplished by combining chiral
bis­(oxazoline) ligands with chiral binaphthyl scaffolds.