Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Coupling of Aldehydes and Electron-Deficient 1,3-Dienes Following an Inverse Regiochemical Course

The nickel catalyzed reductive coupling of aldehydes with sorbate esters and related electron-deficient 1,3-dienes are known in the literature to occur at the π-bond proximal to the ester to afford aldol-type products. In stark contrast to this established path, a VAPOL-derived phosphoramidite ligand in combination with a bench-stable nickel precatalyst brokers a regiocomplementary course in that C–C bond formation proceeds exclusively at the distal alkene site to give deoxypropionate type products carrying an acrylate handle; they can be made in either anti- or syn-configured form. In addition to this enabling reverse pathway, the reaction is distinguished by excellent levels of chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity; moreover, it can be extended to the catalytic formation of F3C-substituted stereogenic centers. The use of a dienyl pinacolboronate instead of a sorbate ester is also possible, which opens access to valuable chiral borylated building blocks in optically active form.