Highly efficient rhodium/monodentate phosphoramidite catalyst and its application in the enantioselective hydrogenation of enamides and α-dehydroamino acid derivatives

An easily prepared and highly efficient monodentate phosphoramidite ligand derived from BINOL, (S)2,2'-O,O-(1,1'-binaphthyl)-dioxo-N,N-diethylphospholidine, was examined in the hydrogenation of both enamides and alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives. The catalyst provided remarkably high enantioselectivities (up to 99.6% ee for enamides and >99.9% ee for alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives).