A thiourea-oxazoline library with axial chirality: Ligand synthesis and studies of the palladium-catalyzed enantioselective bis(methoxycarbonylation) of terminal olefins

Abstract

We report herein the synthesis of novel chiral S,N-heterobidentate thiourea-oxazoline ligands and their application to palladium-catalyzed enantioselective bis(methoxycarbonylation)s of terminal olefins under mild conditions. Copper salts were found to play multiple roles in this reaction. Substituted 2- phenylsuccinates were obtained in >90% yield and up to 84% ee under optimized conditions. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH&Co. KGaA, Weinheim.