Stereoselective Construction of Less-Accessible Acyclic Quaternary Carbon Stereocenters via Rhodium-Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation of β,β-Disubstituted Enesulfinamides

In the presence of Wilkinson's catalyst, the <i>N</i>-sulfinyl metalloenamines derived from NH-deprotonation of β,β-disubstituted enesulfinamides undergo nucleophilic allylic substitution with allyl carbonate, affording α-allylated ketimines with high stereoselectivity. These allylation products possess challenging acyclic quaternary stereocenters containing one allyl group and two alkyl groups that are both sterically and electronically similar (<i>e.g</i>., Me and Et). By utilizing appropriate stereoisomers of enesulfinamides, it becomes feasible to selectively access each of the four potential stereoisomers of the allylation products, thereby facilitating the selective synthesis of stereoisomers of α-tertiary chiral amines featuring a β-quaternary stereocenter through imino nucleophilic addition.