Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation with aminophosphine ligands derived from 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diamine

Chiral ligands 2,2′-bis(dicyclohexylphosphinoamino)-1,1′-binaphthyl and 2,2′-bis[bis(3,5-dimethylphenyl)phosphinoamino]-1,1′-binaphthyl were synthesized by reacting 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diamine with dicyclohexylchlorophosphine and bis(3,5-dimethylphenyl)chlorophosphine, respectively. Application of these ligands to the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of a variety of amidoacrylic acids and esters provided chiral amino acid derivatives with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% e.e. and quantitative yields).