Rhodium-catalyzedasymmetric conjugate alkynylation of α,β-unsaturatedketones giving β-alkynylketones took place in high yields with high enantioselectivity. The reaction was realized by use of (triisopropylsilyl)acetylene combined with (R)-DTBM-segphos as a chiral phosphine ligand, where the sterically bulky substituents on the silicon and phosphorus atoms suppress the alkyne dimerization.
Asymmetric 1,3-rearrangement of an alkynyl group of alkynyl alkenyl carbinols giving β-alkynylketones took place in high yields with high enantioselectivity in the presence of a hydroxyrhodium/(R)-binap catalyst. The present method including a key β-alkynyl elimination step in the catalytic cycle is synthetically equivalent to the asymmetricconjugate addition of terminal alkynes to β-substituted enones