Rhodium-Catalyzed and Chiral Zinc Carboxylate-Assisted Allenylation of Benzamides via Kinetic Resolution

Enantioenriched allenes are important building blocks. While they have been accessed by other coupling methodologies, enantioenriched allenes have been rarely obtained via C-H activation. In this work, kinetic resolution of tertiary propargyl alcohols as an allenylating reagent has been realized via rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H allenylation of benzamides. The reaction proceeded efficiently under mild conditions, and both the allenylated products and the propargyl alcohols were obtained in high enantioselectivities with an s-factor of up to 139. The resolution results from bias of the two propargylic substituents and is assisted by a chiral zinc carboxylate additive.