Lewis base activation of grignard reagents with N-heterocyclic carbenes. Cu-free catalytic enantioselective additions to gamma-chloro-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters.

Direct activation of alkylmagnesium halides with a chiral bidentate N-hetrocyclic carbene (NHC), formed in situ from the imidazolinium chloride precursor, is reported. The Cu-free catalytic asymmetric allylic alkylation (AAA) of alpha-alkyl-gamma-chloro-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters with alkyl-based Grignard reagents is promoted in the presence of 5-10 mol % of the chiral imidazolinium salt to afford synthetically versatile beta,gamma-unsaturated esters. Products bear all-carbon quaternary sterogenic centers generated in 3.5-13.3:1 regioselectivity, 63-98% ee, and in up to 80% isolated yield of the SN2' product. The in-situ-generated chiral NHC promotes enantioselectivity while altering the reactivity of the Grignard reagents: there is only approximately 30% conversion and <2% allylic alkylation in the absence of chiral carbene.