title: Asymmetric synthesis of all-carbon benzylic quaternary stereocenters via Cu-catalyzed conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to 5-(1-arylalkylidene) Meldrum's acids.
abstract: The asymmetric synthesis of all-carbon benzylic quaternary stereocenters has been successfully achieved through copper-catalyzed addition of dialkylzinc reagents to 5-(1-arylalkylidene) and 5-(dihydroindenylidene) Meldrum's acids in the presence of phosphoramidite ligand. The resulting benzyl-substituted Meldrum's acids and 1,1-disubstituted indanes were obtained in good yields and up to 99% ee. The significance of substituting the position para, meta, and ortho to the electrophilic benzylic center was highlighted. A benzyl Meldrum's acid product was further transformed to a 3,3-disubstituted 1-indanone and a beta,beta-disubstituted pentanoic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1. efillion@uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fillion
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilsily