Asymmetric Construction of Binaphthyl by the Chiral Diether-Mediated Conjugate Addition of Naphthyllithium to Naphthalenecarboxylic Acid 2,6-Di-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenyl Ester

Abstract

Two ways for the synthesis of binaphthyl were examined based on a chiral ligand-mediated asymmetric conjugate addition of 1-naphthyllithium to naththalene-2-carboxylic acid 2,6-di-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenyl esters. The one pot method by conjugate addition-elimination gave a relatively higher enantioselectivity than the two step synthesis based on addition and subsequent oxidative aromatization.