Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation with aminophosphine ligands derived from 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diamine

Chiral ligands 2,2'-bis(dicyclohexylphosphinoamino)-1,1'-binaphthyI and 2,2'-bis[bis(3,5-dimethylphenyl)phosphinoamino]- 1,1'-binaphthyl were synthesized by reacting 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine with dicyclohexylchlorophosphine and bis(3,5-dimethylphenyl)chlorophosphine, respectively. Application of these ligands to the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of a variety of amidoacrylic acids and esters provided chiral amino acid derivatives with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% e.e. and quantitative yields). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.