Increased Felkin–Anh selectivity in nucleophilic additions to α-chiral aldehydes using vinylalanes

Vinylalanes, prepared from the zirconium-catalyzed carboalumination of alkynes, were added directly to aldehydes bearing an alpha chiral carbon to give good yields of the corresponding alcohols. The addition was more stereoselective than the addition of the corresponding vinyllithium or vinylmagnesium bromide.