A readily accessible and modular carbohydrate-derived thioether/selenoether-phosphite ligand library for Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitutions.

A large library of thioether/selenoether-phosphite ligands have been tested in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reaction. The presented ligands are derived from cheap and available carbohydrates and they are air-stable solids and easy to handle. Their highly modular nature has made it possible to achieve excellent enantioselectivities in the substitution of a range of hindered and unhindered substrates (ees up to 99% and 91%, respectively).