Asymmetric Iron-Catalyzed C-H Alkylation Enabled by Remote Ligand meta-Substitution

Abstract

Highly enantioselective iron-catalyzed C-H alkylations by inner-sphere C-H activation were accomplished with ample scope. High levels of enantiocontrol proved viable through a novel ligand design that exploits a remote meta-substitution on N-heterocyclic carbenes within a facile ligand-to-ligand H-transfer C-H cleavage.

Keywords: C−H activation; asymmetric catalysis; chiral ligands; iron; metallocene.