Ionic-salt-tagged ferrocenyl diphosphine-imine ligands and their application to palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic etherification

A new type of ferrocenyl diphosphine-imine ligands that contains an ionic salt group has been prepared, and successfully applied to asymmetric C∗-O bond formation. In the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic etherification of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate, high enantioselectivity was obtained (up to 91.0% ee). The potential of the catalysts to be recycled and reused has also been demonstrated.