An Axially Chiral Quinoline-2-Carboxylic Acid-Cu Catalyst for Enantioselective Synthesis of C₂- and C₁-Symmetric BINOLs

The in situ dimeric coordination of two chiral ligands bearing quinoline-2-carboxylic acid units and substituted BINOL backbones with a copper ion generates a new chiral catalyst for oxidative homo- and cross-coupling of various 2-naphthols, enabling enantioselective synthesis of a broad range of highly useful diversely substituted C2- and C1-symmetric BINOLs in up to 96% yield with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98:2 e.r.).