Application of chiral tetrahydropentalene ligands in rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition of (E)-2-phenylethenyl- and (Z)-propenylboronic acids to enones

Chiral tetrahydropentalenes catalyze the 1,4-addition of vinylboronic acids to cyclic enones in the presence of the Rh-complexes. The stereochemistry of the reaction was controlled by the steric properties of the aryl groups in the tetrahydropentalenes as well as by the substitution pattern of the boronic acids.