A regioselective and enantioselective palladium-catalyzed relay Heck alkenylation of alkenylbenzene derivatives to construct remote stereocenters is disclosed. Various β-substituted styrenes were readily obtained in moderate yields with good to excellent levels of enantioselectivity. This strategy provides rapid access to enantioenriched δ, ε, ζ, and η-alkenyl aryl compounds from simple starting materials. Mechanistic studies suggest that termination of the relay reaction is controlled by affinity of the arene for the Pd complex during migration.
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