Catalyst-controlled regiodivergent 1,2-difunctionalization of alkenes with two carbon-based electrophiles

Regiodivergent catalysis provides an efficient strategic approach for the construction of architecturally different molecules from the same starting materials. In this field, the intermolecular regiodivergent 1,2-difunctionalization of alkenes with two electrophiles is still a challenging task. A ligand-controlled, nickel-catalyzed regiodivergent dicarbofunctionalization of alkenes using both aryl/vinyl halides and acetals as electrophiles under mild reductive reaction conditions has been accomplished. This study provides a general approach to accessing both β-methoxyl esters and γ-methoxyl esters from readily available acrylates, aryl halides and acetals. Experimental mechanistic evidence supports that the difference in regioselective outcomes is attributed to the ligand tuning the reactivity of the nickel catalyst, which results in different catalytic cycles operating for these two reaction conditions.