Ligand-Controlled Rhodium-Catalyzed Site-Selective Asymmetric Addition of Arylboronic Acids to α,β-Unsaturated Cyclic N-Sulfonyl Ketimines.

A site-selective rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-/1,2-addition of arylboronic acids to challenging α,β-unsaturated cyclic ketimines was realized through a ligand-controlled strategy. By employing different chiral olefin ligands, a ligand-controlled switch in the reaction regioselectivity was attained for the first time. The reactions allow the synthesis of highly valuable α,α-disubstituted chiral allylic amines and enantioenriched 1,4-adducts. Further product transformation provided easy access to various quaternary carbon-containing chiral amines and amino acid derivatives bearing multifunctional groups.