Enantioselective Conjugate Addition to Nitroalkenes and Nitroacrylates

Significance

Copper-catalyzed conjugate addition reactions to nitroalkenes and nitroacrylates are well established methods to access chiral amino derivatives, in which BINOL-based phosphor­amidite ligands were shown to be excellent catalysts. The present work, however, shows that by taking advantage of instant chirality control of flexible diphenylmethane-based phosphoramidite ligands, even better reactivity and asymmetric induction can be achieved. Catalyst self-adaptation might find wider applications in other types of reactions.