Enantioselective Desymmetrization of Cyclopropenes

Significance

Substituted cyclopropanes are ­important substructures of considerably high ­interest in many research fields, for instance, in medicinal or physical organic chemistry. As a result, considerable effort has been made to prepare these compounds in an enantiomerically pure fashion. This communication describes a rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization of achiral cyclopropenes 1 to the corresponding ketones 3 using a hydroacylation protocol. The target compounds could be synthesized in excellent yields, enantio- and diastereoselectivities using the JosiPhos ligand 4.