Nonracemic Allylic Boronates through Enantiotopic-Group-Selective Cross-Coupling of Geminal Bis(boronates) and Vinyl Halides

Under the influence of a chiral palladium catalyst, 1,1-bis(pinacolboronate) esters undergo asymmetric cross-coupling with bromoalkenes to generate nonracemic allyl boronates with high levels of enantioselectivity. The so-formed allyl boronates may be oxidized with hydrogen peroxide to provide secondary allylic alcohols or with nitrosobenzene to furnish nonracemic tertiary allylic alcohols. Mechanistic experiments suggest the operation of a pathway involving outer-sphere stereoinvertive transmetalation.