Highly enantioselective asymmetric hydrogenation of (E)-β,β-disubstituted α,β-unsaturated Weinreb amides catalyzed by Ir(I) complexes of SpinPhox ligands

The Ir(I) complexes of chiral spiro phosphino-oxazoline ligands (SpinPhox) have demonstrated good to excellent enantioselectivity in the asymmetric hydrogenation (AH) of a variety of (E)-beta,beta-disubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated N-methoxy-N-methylamides, affording the corresponding optically active Weinreb amides with up to 97% ee.