Cationic Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Decarbonylative Aryl Addition of Aromatic Aldehydes to Bicyclic Alkenes.

We report an unprecedented catalytic protocol for the enantioselective decarbonylative transformation of aryl aldehydes. In this process, the decarbonylation of aldehydes catalyzed by chiral iridium complexes enabled the formation of asymmetric C-C bonds through the formation of an aryl-iridium intermediate. The decarbonylative aryl addition to bicyclic alkenes was fluidly performed without a stoichiometric aryl-metal reagent, such as aryl boronic acid, with a cationic iridium complex generated in situ from Ir(cod) 2 (BAr F 4 ) and the sulfur-linked bis(phosphoramidite) ligand ((R,R)-S-Me-BIPAM). This reaction has broad functional group compatibility, and no waste is generated, except carbon monoxide.