Asymmetric Palladium-Catalyzed Carboamination Reactions for the Synthesis of Enantiomerically Enriched 2-(Arylmethyl)- and 2-(Alkenylmethyl)pyrrolidines

The enantioselective synthesis of 2-(arylmethyl)- and 2-(alkenylmethyl)pyrrolidine derivatives via Pd-catalyzed alkene carboamination reactions is described. These transformations generate enantiomerically enriched products with up to 94% ee from readily available alkenyl or aryl bromides and N-boc-pent-4-enylamines. The application of this method to a concise asymmetric synthesis of (−)-tylophorine is also discussed.