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We report an efficient and highly enantioselective hydroboration of aliphatic 1,1-disubstituted alkenes with pinacolborane using a phosphine-Cu catalyst. The method allows facile preparation of enantiomerically enriched β-chiral alkyl pinacolboronates from a range of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes with high enantioselectivity up to 99% ee. Unprecedented enantiodiscrimination between the geminal alkyl substituents was observed with functional group compatibility in the hydroboration. Furthermore, a catalyst loading as low as 1 mol % furnished the desired product without a decrease in yield or selectivity, demonstrating its efficiency in gram scale synthesis.

An efficient synthetic method for preparing enantioenriched secondary borylalkanes has been achieved through a copper-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective hydroallylation of alkenyl boronates and boramides employing hydrosilanes and allylic phosphates. In the presence of a copper catalyst with a chiral Walphos ligand, a range of alkenylboron compounds with an aryl, heteroaryl, or alkyl substituent produced secondary homoallylic alkylboron compounds in good yields and with high enantioselectivities up to 99% ee. The utility of the resulting alkylboronates was demonstrated in an efficient synthesis of (S)-massoialactone.