Scope and Mechanism on Iridium-f-Amphamide Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Ketones

A series of novel and easily accessed ferrocene-based amino-phosphine-sulfonamide (f-Amphamide) ligands have been developed and applied in Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of aryl ketones, affording the corresponding chiral secondary alcohols with excellent results (up to >99% conversion, >99% ee and TON up to 200 000). DFT calculations suggest an activating model involving an alkali cation Li+.