Enantioselective palladium catalysed allylic substitution. Electronic and steric effects of the ligand.

Ligands containing an enantiomerically pure oxazoline and a sulfur-containing tether have been examined for their ability to provide asymmetric induction in palladium catalysed allylic substitution reaction. The enantioselectivity obtained was found to be highly dependent upon the stereochemistry at sulfur (for sulfoxides), and also somewhat dependent upon the nature of the aryl group attached to the sulfur.