Ni/Cu Dual-Catalyzed Propargylation for the Stereodivergent Synthesis of Methohexital.

The development of efficient methodologies for the controlled manufacture of specific stereoisomers bearing quaternary stereocenters has prompted advances in a variety of scientific disciplines including pharmaceutical chemistry, materials science, and chemical biology. However, complete control of the absolute and relative stereochemical configurations of alkyne derivatives remains an unmet synthetic challenge. Herein, a Ni/Cu dual-catalyzed asymmetric propargylic substitution reaction is presented to produce propargylated products with all-carbon quaternary stereocenters in high yields with significant diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to >20:1 dr, >99% ee). The synthesis of all stereochemical variants of methohexital, a widely used sedative-hypnotic drug, exemplifies the efficacy of dual-catalyzed stereodivergent propargylation.