Synthesis of chiral 2-alkyl-8-quinolinyl-oxazoline ligands: reversal of enantioselectivity in the asymmetric palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation

New chiral 2-alkyl-8-quinolinyl-oxazolines were synthesized from 2-alkyl-8-quinolinecarboxylic acids and enantiomerically pure amino alcohols using a convenient procedure. Enantioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate in the presence of 2-alkyl-8-quinolinyl-oxazolines provided an alkylation product with an opposite configuration compared to those obtained from unsubstituted quinolinyl-oxazoline ligands.