Catalytic Asymmetric Iodoesterification of Simple Alkenes

Abstract

Catalytic asymmetric iodoesterification of simple alkenes was achieved using a dinuclear zinc‐3,3′‐(R,S,S)‐bis(aminoimino)binaphthoxide (di‐Zn) complex. For iodoesterification using p‐methoxybenzoic acid, the N‐iodonaphthalenimide (NIN)‐I2 system was effective for producing iodoesters in a highly enantioselective manner. The synthetic utility of chiral iodo‐p‐methoxybenzoates was also demonstrated. The quartet of metal ionic bond, hydrogen bond, halogen bond, and π‐π stacking is harmonized on the single reaction sphere of di‐Zn catalyst for enabling the highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric iodoesterification of simple alkenes for the first time.