Highly enantioselective alkynylation of trifluoropyruvate with alkynylsilanes catalyzed by the BINAP-Pd complex: access to α-trifluoromethyl-substituted tertiary alcohols.

A highly enantioselective alkynylation catalyzed by the dicationic (S)-BINAP-Pd complex with a variety of alkynylsilanes and trifluoropyruvate is described. The catalytic reaction is applicable to highly enantioselective addition of polyyne to trifluoropyruvate to construct α-trifluoromethyl-substituted tertiary alcohols as enantiomerically enriched forms. The alkynyl products can be converted into a chiral allene bearing a trifluoromethyl group.