Preparation of chiral α-aryl ketones and aldehydes via Ni-catalyzed asymmetric cross-electrophile coupling

The preparation of tertiary α-aryl acetals and ketals has been achieved through a Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling approach, utilizing a readily available Ni/Biox catalytic platform. This reaction demonstrates effective enantioselective control over unactivated alkyl radicals adjacent to sterically bulky acetal and ketal groups. The resulting protected tertiary α-aryl ketones and aldehydes are configurationally stable, offering opportunities for further chemical manipulations. In this short account, we summarize on our studies, organized into the following sections: 1. Introduction; 2. Arylation of α-iodoketals and -acetals. 3. Unsuccessful examples. 4. Conclusions.