N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Mediated Enantioselective Addition of Phenols to Unsymmetrical Alkylarylketenes

Chiral N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) mediate the enantioselective addition of 2‐phenylphenol to unsymmetrical alkylarylketenes, delivering α‐alkyl‐α‐arylacetic acid derivatives with good levels of enantiocontrol (up to 84% ee ). Enantiodivergent stereochemical outcomes are observed using 2‐phenylphenol and benzhydrol in the NHC‐promoted esterification reaction using a triazolium precatalyst derived from pyroglutamic acid, consistent with distinct mechanistic pathways operating within these processes.