Direct Access to Chiral Secondary Amides by Copper-Catalyzed Borylative Carboxamidation of Vinylarenes with Isocyanates

A Cu-catalyzed borylative carboxamidation reaction has been developed using vinylarenes and isocyanates. Alkynes, branched 1,3-dienes, and bicyclic alkenes were also found to be competent coupling partners. Using a chiral phosphanamine ligand, an enantioselective variant of this transformation was developed, affording a set of alpha-chiral amides with unprecedented levels of enantioselectivity. The synthetic utility of the method was demonstrated through a series of representative stereoretentive postcatalytic derivatizations.