Asymmetrichydrogenation of 4-substituted cyclic enamido esters catalyzed by a rhodium–TangPhos complex provides an efficient method for the synthesis of chiral 4-substituted oxazolinones with excellent yields and good enantioselectivities. The products are valuable chiral building blocks and the applications as chiral auxiliaries and pharmaceuticals are well-known.
An asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of 2-oxazolones in the presence of a chiral diamine ruthenium catalyst with potassium formate as a hydrogen source and potassium carbonate as an additive in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol is described. A series of chiral 2-oxazolidinones were obtained with 29%–95% yields and 86%–>99% ee's. Furthermore, gram-scale synthesis of chiral 2-oxazolidinone and its downstream derivatizations