Asymmetric Homogeneous Hydrogenation of Prochiral Olefins and Control of the Metal Configuration in Labile Optically Active Organotransition Metal Complexes

Abstract

Since 1966 the Wilkinson catalyst RhCl[P(C6H5)3]3 is used for the homogeneous hydrogenation of olefins mostly under conditions as mild as room temperature and hydrogen of atmospheric pressure (1). In 1968 the groups of Horner and Knowles used optically active phosphines instead of triphenylphosphine for the hydrogenation of prochiral olefins and Open image in new window Scheme 2 Open image in new window Scheme 2 observed the formation of optically active hydrogenation products (2,3). In the past decade progress in the field of catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral olefins was mainly associated with the development of new optically active chelate ligands, four examples of which are shown in scheme 1 (4–7).