Enantioselective reductive conjugate alkenylation of α,β-enones with keto alkenyl acetates by nickel catalysis

Reactions involving alkenyl acetates offer cost-effective and environmentally friendly routes for alkene synthesis, yet their asymmetric variant remains elusive. Concurrently, asymmetric conjugate alkenylation predominantly centered on nucleophilic addition using alkenyl-M. This manuscript presents an asymmetric reductive conjugate alkenylation reaction involving alkenyl acetates. The method facilitates the enantioselective addition of keto alkenyl groups to alpha,beta-enones, resulting in the formation of unsaturated diketones-a class of useful structural motifs that are challenging to access otherwise. The use of electron-rich Pyroxy ligand is essential for achieving both high reaction efficiency and enantioselectivity.