On the Use of Phosphoramidite Ligands in Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Transformations with Trialkylaluminum Reagents

[reaction: see text] Phosphoramidites based on BINOL readily react with trimethylaluminum in "noncoordinating" solvents, leading to the corresponding aminophosphine which is the real ligand in copper-catalyzed asymmetric transformations. This artifact explains the experimental differences in the asymmetric ring opening of meso bicyclic hydrazines using dialkylzinc or trialkylaluminum reagents as nucleophiles.