Catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition of dialkyl zinc reagents to α,β-unsaturated ketones mediated by new phosphite ligands containing binaphthalene/1,2-diphenylethane moieties:: a practical synthesis of (R)-(-)-muscone

New diastercoisomeric phosphites based on either (R)- or (S)-2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyl (BINOL) and having the chiral alcoholic moiety derived from the monobenzyl ether of (R,R)-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol have been prepared and used as chiral ligands in the enantioselective copper-catalyzed 1,4-addition of diethylzinc to chalcone and 2-cyclohexen-1-one (enantiomeric excesses up to 48%). With the (aR,R,R) ligand dimethylzinc adds enantioselectively to (E)-cyclopentadecen-2-en-1-one to give (R)-(-)-muscone (68% yield, 78% ee). This provides an efficient access to a valuable ingredient of the perfume industry. However, with the (aS,R,R) ligand, (S)-(+)-muscone is obtained with longer reaction times (37% yield and 10% ee) with a very high double diastereoselection effect being observed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.