New palladium(II)-catalyzed asymmetric 1,2-dibromo synthesis.

The oxidation of olefins by chiral monometallic and bimetallic Pd(II)−Cu(II) catalysts in bromide-containing aqueous−THF reaction mixtures produced chiral 1,2-dibromides. With α-olefins, the ee's were about 95% while most of the internal alkenes gave somewhat lower enantioselectivities (∼80%).