Synthesis of (-)-(4R,5R)-4,5-bis[di-3′-(2′,6′-dimethoxypyridyl)phosphinomethyl]-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane and its application in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation reactions

The chiral ligand (-)-(4R,5R)-4,5-bis[di-3'-(2',6'-dimethoxypyridyl)phosphinomethyl]-2, 2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane 3 [(R,R)-Py*-DIOP] was synthesized via a key intermediate bis[3-(2,6-dimethoxypyridyl)]phosphine-borane 9. The asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral olefins was investigated using a rhodium catalyst containing 3. For the hydrogenation of amidoacrylic acids, enols and itaconic acid, while the enantioselectivity of [Rh-(R,R)-Py*-DIOP] was similar to that of [Rh-(R,R)-DIOP] the absolute configurations of the products from the two catalyst systems were found to be opposite. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.