Asymmetric Addition of Allyl Cyanide to Ketones

Significance

Ketones are inherently less reactive to nucleophilic addition than their aldehydes counterparts. Moreover, the enantioselective addition of various nucleophile further compounds the possible problems encountered due to the steric similarities in ketones relative to that of aldehydes. In this report, the authors have shown an efficient copper-catalyzed reaction that provides useful tertiary alcohols with a Z-configured unsaturated nitrile.