Chiral Bidentate Bis(N‐Heterocyclic Carbene)‐Based Palladium Complexes Bearing Carboxylate Ligands: Highly Effective Catalysts for the Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Arylboronic Acids to Cyclic Enones

Abstract

Axially chiral cis-chelated bidentate bis(N-heterocyclic carbene)-palladium(II) complexes with two weakly coordinating carboxylate ligands are effective catalysts for the asymmetric conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to cyclic enones, producing the corresponding adducts in moderate-to-high yields and with good-to-high enantioselectivities, in most cases under mild conditions.