Palladium Complex Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Substitutions with Nitromethane: Enantioselectivities Exceeding 99.9%<i>ee</i>

Abstract

Small but powerful! Nitromethane serves as a nucleophile in palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions with allylic carbonates 1 giving nitro compounds 2 with high enantioselectivities. A new mechanism is in action in addition to the known one when R = alkyl; mechanistic details are not yet known.