A highly regio- and enantioselective synthesis of 1,2-diamine derivatives from γ-substituted allylic pivalamides using copper-catalyzed hydroamination is reported. The N-pivaloyl group is essential, both in facilitating the hydrocupration step and suppressing an unproductive β-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.
