Direct Catalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of α-Substituted Benzyl Nitriles to Alkyl Acrylates

The first enantioselective copper-catalyzed conjugate addition of α-substituted benzyl nitriles to alkyl acrylates is described. This protocol allows the direct and 100% atom-economic generation of a nitrile-containing quaternary stereogenic center in a highly enantioselective manner. The practical application of our methodology was demonstrated through the concise formal synthesis of (-)-aphanorphine.