Chiral sulfinyl-based olefin ligands for rhodium-catalysed asymmetric conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to cyanoalkenes

A rhodium/sulfinyl-based olefin ligand-catalysed asymmetric conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to cyanoalkenes without activation groups has been developed, where p-tolylsulfinyl-functionalised olefin ligands have been shown to be effective and with moderate enantioselectivities. This is the first example of applying chiral sulfinyl-based olefin ligands in the catalytic asymmetric addition to cyanoalkenes.