Palladacycle catalyzed asymmetric P-H addition of diarylphosphines to N-enoyl phthalimides.

The first asymmetric phospha-Michael addition of diarylphosphines to N-enoyl phthalimides has been developed in the presence of a chiral palladacycle catalyst. A library of free chiral tertiary phosphine adducts were directly obtained with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. Products can be subsequently functionalized to afford ß-phosphinoamides, the direct preparation of which from cinnamides has been notoriously challenging.