Rh/chiral sulfinylphosphine catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to chalcones

A general method to obtain enantioenriched 1,3,3-triarylpropan-1-ones bearing a diarylmethine stereocenter was developed using Rh/chiral sulfinylphosphine catalyzed 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to chalcones. The catalysis progressed smoothly in the presence of 2 mol % catalyst formed in situ from [Rh(C2H4)(2)Cl](2) and chiral tert-butanesulfinylphosphine and gave the adducts with up to 99% yield and 98% ee. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.