Axially chiral N-alkyl-N-cinnamoyl amide type P,olefin ligands for Pd-catalyzed reactions.

We synthesized N-alkyl-N-cinnamoyl amide type phosphine-olefin compounds 1 and found axial chirality in a C(aryl)-N(amide) bond in compounds 1 by HPLC analysis using a chiral stationary phase column. We successfully obtained enantiomeric isomers of 1 and demonstrated the use of (-)-1 for chiral ligands in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions of allylic esters with indoles (up to 97% ee).