Novel ferrocene modified P,N-ligands for enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions

Novel ferrocene modified P,N-ligands (R,R,Sp)-8 and (S,S,Sp)-9 were synthesized conveniently from enantiopure cyclohexanediamine and (Sp)-2-phosphinoferrocenyl carboxylic acid. They were used as chiral ligands for palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions of rac-1, 3-diphenylprop-2-enyl acetate with dimethylmalonate and benzylamine. (R,R,Sp)-8 was found to be a better ligand containing matched chiralities (central chirality and planar chirality) and showed a higher enantioselectivity.