In this paper, we report the first highly regio- and enantioselective alkoxycarbonylation of unactivated terminal alkenes. The method relies on a palladium–bromide catalyst featuring a newly developed valley-shaped chiral ligand and enables the synthesis of valuable chiral esters from simple alkenes and alcohols with excellent selectivity and broad substrate scope.Beyond providing access to important building blocks for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, fragrances, and fine chemicals, this study demonstrates how catalyst design can overcome long-standing challenges in alkene functionalisation by simultaneously controlling regioselectivity and enantioselectivity in reactions of unactivated olefins.

(link)

Congrats to all involved, and many thanks to the Tang Group (SIOC) for a great collaboration on this project!