Novel N,N,P-Tridentate Ligands for the Highly Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed 1,4-Addition of Dialkylzincs to Enones.

Use of 0.25 mol % of the N,N,P-tridentate ligand containing the 2-quinolyl moiety (1 and 2) and 0.1 mol % of Cu(OTf)2 enabled the enantioselective 1,4-addition of dialkylzincs to cyclic enones to produce 1,4-adducts in up to 99% ee.