Highly Enantioselective Construction of Axial Chirality by Palladium-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of N-Alkenyl Arylethynylamides

A cationic palladium(II)/(S)-xyl-Segphos complex catalyzes enantioselective cycloisomerizations of N-alkenyl arylethynylamides leading to axially chiral 4-aryl-2-pyridones in high yields with high ee values. The present catalysis represents the first enantioselective construction of axial chirality by the transition-metal-catalyzed cycloisomerization.