Asymmetric Hydroarylation of Vinylarenes Using a Synergistic Combination of CuH and Pd Catalysis.

Detailed in this Communication is the enantioselective synthesis of 1,1-diarylalkanes, a structure found in a range of pharmaceutical drug agents and natural products, through the employment of copper(I) hydride and palladium catalysis. Judicious choice of ligand for both Cu and Pd enabled this hydroarylation protocol to work for an extensive array of aryl bromides and styrenes, including β-substituted vinylarenes and six-membered heterocycles, under relatively mild conditions.