An asymmetric hydrogenation of sterically hindered β,β-disubstituted enones has been well-established by using a ruthenium complex composed of an achiral diphosphane and a chiral diamine as catalyst, wherein the carbonyl group was selectively hydrogenated to give a wide range of chiral allylic alcohols with high levels of enantioselectivity and complete chemoselectivity.
The Ir(I) complexes of chiral spiro phosphinoâoxazoline ligands (SpinPhox) have demonstrated good to excellent enantioselectivity in the asymmetric hydrogenation (AH) of a variety of (E)-β,β-disubstituted α,β-unsaturated N-methoxy-N-methylamides, affording the corresponding optically active Weinreb amides with up to 97% ee.
A succinct and efficient protocol was developed for the synthesis of chiral aromatic ketones via asymmetric hydrogenation of β,β-disubstitutedenones with rhodium catalysts based on chiral bisphosphine thiourea ligands. A series of substrates (17 examples) was smoothly catalyzed to afford the corresponding chiral aromatic ketones in high conversions(>99%)with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 96%