Asymmetric Reformatsky Reaction with ortho-Substituted Diarylketones

Significance

Enantioselective addition of nucleophiles to diarylketones is typically challenging because of the similarity in steric bulk of substituents. The authors have found the first catalytic system able to catalyze a Reformatsky reaction with diarylketones using a readily available chiral BINOL derivative and air. Indeed, oxygen is a necessary component of the reaction, as it is crucial to initiate a radical pathway. The enantiomeric excess obtained represents the state of the art for this reaction.