Regio- and Enantioselective Synthesis of 1,2-Diamine Derivatives by Copper-Catalyzed Hydroamination.

A highly regio- and enantioselective synthesis of 1,2-diamine derivatives from gamma-substituted allylic pivalamides using copper-catalyzed hydroamination is reported. The N-pivaloyl group is essential, in both facilitating the hydrocupration step and suppressing an unproductive beta-elimination from the alkylcopper intermediate. This approach enables an efficient construction of chiral differentially protected vicinal diamines under mild conditions with broad functional group tolerance.