Modular chiral selenium-containing oxazolines: synthesis and application in the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation

A new series of modular chiral selenium-containing oxazolines has been synthesized from inexpensive and commercially available l-serine and l-aspartic acid. These new compounds were evaluated as chiral ligands in the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction, furnishing the product in high enantiomeric excess, using Cs2CO3/CH2Cl2 as the base/solvent system.