Aerobic Asymmetric Allylic C-H Alkylation by Synergistic Chiral Primary Amine-Palladium-Hydroquinone Catalysis.

A synergistic chiral primary amine/palladium /p-hydroquinone catalysis was developed to facilitate oxidative asymmetric allylic C-H alkylation under aerobic conditions. The ternary synergistic catalysis enables a facile allylic C-H activation and alkylation with oxygen so that stoichiometric utilization of benzoquinone can be avoided. The identified optimal catalytic system allows for terminal addition to allyl arenes with α-branched β-ketocarbonyls to afford allylic adducts bearing all-carbon quaternary centers with high regio- and enantioselectivity. This work provides new insights for further studies on the aerobically oxidative C-H alkylation reaction.