Application of a C2-symmetric copper carbenoid in the enantioselective hydrosilylation of dialkyl and aryl-alkyl ketones

We report excellent reactivity and enantioselectivity of a C(2)-symmetric copper-bound N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) in the hydrosilylation of a variety of structurally diverse ketones. This catalyst exhibits extraordinary enantioselctivity in the reduction of such challenging substrates as 2-butanone and 3-hexanone. Even at low catalyst loading (2.0 mol %), the reactions occur in under an hour at room temperature and often do not require purification beyond catalyst and solvent removal. The scope of this transformation was investigated in the reduction of 10 aryl-alkyl and alkyl-alkyl ketones.