Aziridine-derived iminophosphine ligands in palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution

New iminophosphines have been synthesized from (R,R)-1-amino-2-diphenylphosphino cyclohexane (R.R)-1 in good to excellent yields. The catalysts obtained from iminophosphines 3a–g and [Pd(C3H5)Cl]2 promote the enantioselective allylic substitution of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate (6) with diethyl malonate with good enantioselectivity. The air-stable complex PdCl2[κ2-P,N-(R,R)-2-Ph2PC6H10Ndouble bond; length as m-dashCHPh] (4) has been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography.