[reaction: see text] The enantioselective copper(II)-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts addition of indoles to N-sulfonyl aldimines was developed using chiral bisoxazoline as ligands, and high enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee) were achieved.
A ferrocenyl palladacycle complex has been identified as a highly enantioselective catalyst for 1,2-additions of a diverse range of alkynes to imines (39 examples) providing nearly enantiopure propargylic amine derivatives. Compared to known methods turnover numbers could be increased by ca. 2–3 orders of magnitude.