Asymmetric construction of quaternary carbon stereocenter by Pd-hemilabile ligand-catalyzed allylic substitution

The catalyst comprised [PdCl(η3-C3H5)]2 and a simple chiral hemilabile ferrocene ligand, 1′,2-bis(diphenylphosphinoethyl)ferrocenyl alcohol, provides synthetically acceptable results for an enantioselective Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of cyclohexanone derivatives bearing an electron-withdrawing group at the α-position to form the quaternary carbon with up to 90% enantioselectivity under mild reaction conditions.