A new class of chiral diphosphines having planar chirality

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(99)00947-8

Double lithiation of bis(tetra-hydroindenyl)iron followed by phosphorylation using Ph₂PCl affords two different chiral diphosphines having respectively C₁- and C₂-symmetry. Following antipode separation, the compounds can be used as ligands in Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation (up to 97% ee) and hydroboration (up to 84% ee) of olefins and in Ir-catalyzed hydrogenation of imines (up to 79% ee).