Rhodium-Catalyzed 1,4-Addition of Arylboronic Acids

Significance

Electron-poor chiral diphosphine ligands are synthesized and applied to the rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition of arylboronic acid to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds to give very high yields and enantioselectivities. The strong π-acceptor ability of such phosphine ligands is believed to induce the transmetalation of arylboronic acid to the rhodium precatalyst in the first step of the catalytic cycle.