Chiral Magnesium(II) Binaphtholates as Cooperative Brønsted/Lewis Acid–Base Catalysts for the Highly Enantioselective Addition of Phosphorus Nucleophiles to α,β‐Unsaturated Esters and Ketones

A little cooperation goes a long way: The cooperative Brønsted/Lewis acid–base supramolecular catalysts formed in situ from simple chiral magnesium(II) binaphtholate aqua complexes promoted the highly enantioselective 1,4-hydrophosphinylation of α,β-unsaturated esters with diaryl phosphine oxides and 1,2-hydrophosphonylation of α,β-unsaturated ketones with dialkyl phosphites (see scheme).