Copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc using axially chiral aminoethyloxy-phosphine ligands

New axially chiral P,O,N-type ligands bearing both a diphenylphosphino group and 2-(dialkylamino)ethyloxy (or 2-pyridylmethyloxy) groups were designed and prepared along with P,O,O-type ligands by employing an easily available chiral component, (R)-2-hydroxy-2′-diphenylphosphinyl-1,1′-binaphthyl. Among the ligands the simplest P,O,N-type one bearing a 2-(dimethylamino)ethyloxy group was found to be the most efficient in copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to a cyclic enone, 2-cyclohexen-1-one, providing high enantioselectivity up to 99% ee.