Dual Catalysis Using Boronic Acid and Chiral Amine: Acyclic Quaternary Carbons via Enantioselective Alkylation of Branched Aldehydes with Allylic Alcohols

A ferrocenium boronic acid salt activates allylic alcohols to generate transient carbocations that react with in situ-generated chiral enamines from branched aldehydes. The optimized conditions afford the desired acyclic products embedding a methyl-aryl quaternary carbon center with up to 90% yield and 97:3 enantiomeric ratio, with only water as the byproduct. This noble-metal-free method complements alternative methods that are incompatible with carbon-halogen bonds and other sensitive functional groups.