New Homochiral Ligands Bearing Nonstereogenic Chirotopic Centers. Lithiated N,N'-Dialkylureas as Chiral Bases and Sterically Crowded Phosphines for Asymmetric Catalysis.

The synthesis of new homochiral pseudo-C(2)()-symmetrical ligands of type 1 bearing a nonstereogenic chirotopic center is reported. Two such structural units are combined in the ureas 2 and 10, which proved to be useful for enantioselective deprotonation and alkylation of ketones (up to 88% ee). The monophosphine 3 induced a high enantiomeric excess in the Pd-catalyzed allylation of dimethyl malonate (up to 73% ee).

New Chiral Ligands with Nonstereogenic Chirotopic Centers for Asymmetric Synthesis.

Pseudo-C -symmetrical ligands have been prepared efficiently: The attachment of the chiral alkyl group to the heteroatom (P or N) through a nonstereogenic, chirotopic carbon center facilitates their synthesis as the configuration at this carbon atom no longer needs to be controlled. Two such ligands were combined, for example, in the base 1, which is especially useful for asymmetric deprotonation of prochiral ketones [Eq. (a)].