Direct Enantioselective α‐Allylation of Unfunctionalized Cyclic Ketones with Alkynes through Pd‐Amine Cooperative Catalysis

The first direct enantioselective α-allylation of unfunctionalized cyclic ketones using alkynes as an economical choice of reagent is reported. This transformation uses a simple procedure with commercially available palladium, chiral bisphosphine ligand and chiral amine catalysts, and affords valuable ketones with a α-tertiary stereocenter in good to high enantiopurity. In this transformation, a chiral palladium complex containing the (S)-DIFLUORPHOS ligand catalyzes the isomerization of alkynes into an electrophilic allylpalladium species, which is attacked by the enamine generated in situ from the condensation of (R)-prolinol with the ketone substrate.