Ni(II)/BINOL-catalyzed alkenylation of unactivated C(sp(3))-H bonds.

The first nickel-catalyzed alkenylation of unactivated C(sp(3))-H bonds with vinyl iodides is described. The catalytic system comprises an inexpensive and air-stable Ni(acac)2 as the catalyst and BINOL as the ligand, which is highly efficient for the alkenylation of β-methyl C(sp(3))-H bonds of a broad range of aliphatic carboxamides. The resulting olefins can serve as versatile handles for further preparation. Additionally, we also demonstrated the synthesis of functionalized carboxamides bearing α-quaternary carbon centers from simple pivalamide via nickel-catalyzed sequential C(sp(3))-H bond functionalization.