Regio- and Enantioselective Ni-Catalyzed Formal Hydroalkylation, Hydrobenzylation, and Hydropropargylation of Acrylamides to α-Tertiary Amides

The development of enantioselective alkyl-alkyl cross-couplings with coinstantaneous formation of a stereogenic center without the use of sensitive organometallic species is attractive yet challenging. Herein, we report the intermolecular regio- and enantioselective formal hydrofunctionalizations of acrylamides, forging a stereogenic center alpha-position to the newly formed C-sp3-C-sp3 bond for the first time. The use of a newly developed chiral ligand enables the electronically-reversed formal hydrofunctionalizations, including hydroalkylation, hydrobenzylation, and hydropropargylation, offering an efficient way to access diverse enantioenriched amides with a tertiary alpha-stereogenic carbon center which is facile to racemize. This operationally simple protocol allows for the anti-Markovnikov enantioselective hydroalkylation, and unprecedented hydrobenzylation, hydropropargylation under mild conditions with excellent functional group compatibility, delivering a wide range of amides with excellent levels of enantioselectivity.

Automated summary

This research presents intermolecular regio- and enantioselective formal hydrofunctionalizations of acrylamides, creating a stereogenic center alpha-position to the newly formed C-sp3-C-sp3 bond for the first time. The use of a newly developed chiral ligand enables electronically-reversed formal hydrofunctionalizations, offering an efficient way to obtain diverse enantioenriched amides with a tertiary alpha-stereogenic carbon center.