Highly Enantioselective Nickel-Catalyzed Hydrocyanation of Disubstituted Methylenecyclopropanes Enabled by TADDOL-based Diphosphite Ligands.

A vast range of novel TADDOL-based diphosphite ligands were first synthesized and applied in the nickel-catalyzed asymmetric hydrocyanation of disubstituted methylenecyclopropanes. By employing these new catalysts, the conversion of diverse methylenecyclopropanes into their corresponding allylic nitriles was first enabled, in good yield with excellent enantioselectivities.