Iridium Catalysts with f-Amphox Ligands: Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Simple Ketones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01290

A series of modular and rich electronic tridentate ferrocene aminophosphoxazoline ligands (f-amphox) have been successfully developed and used in iridium-catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of simple ketones to afford corresponding enantiomerically enriched alcohols under mild conditions with superb activities and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 1"000"000 TON, almost all products up to >99% ee, full conversion). The resulting chiral alcohols and their derivatives are important intermediates in pharmaceuticals.