Chiral α-Amino Acid/Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylation of α-Branched β-Ketoesters with Allylic Amines: Highly Enantioselective Construction of All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters.

A new protocol has been developed for the use of allylic amines as allylating agents in the chiral α-amino acid/palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylation of α-branched β-ketoesters, providing highly enantioselective access to all-carbon quaternary stereocenters. Notably, the formation of a primary amine, a secondary amine, or ammonia as a byproduct has little influence on the enantioselectivity for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of structurally diverse α,α-disubstituted β-ketoesters.