The increasing demand to produce enantiomerically pure pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, flavors, and other fine chemicals has advanced the field of asymmetric catalytic technologies.1,2 Among all asymmetric catalytic methods, asymmetric hydrogenation utilizing molecular hydrogen to reduce prochiral olefins, ketones, and imines, have become one of the most efficient methods for constructing chiral compounds.3 The development of homogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation was initiated by Knowles4a and Horner4b in the late 1960s, after the discovery of Wilkinson’s homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst [RhCl(PPh3)3]. By replacing triphenylphosphine of the Wilkinson’s catalystwithresolvedchiralmonophosphines,6Knowles and Horner reported the earliest examples of enantioselective hydrogenation, albeit with poor enantioselectivity. Further exploration by Knowles with an improved monophosphine CAMP provided 88% ee in hydrogenation of dehydroamino acids.7 Later, two breakthroughs were made in asymmetric hydrogenation by Kagan and Knowles, respectively. Kagan reported the first bisphosphine ligand, DIOP, for Rhcatalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation.8 The successful application of DIOP resulted in several significant directions for ligand design in asymmetric hydrogenation. Chelating bisphosphorus ligands could lead to superior enantioselectivity compared to monodentate phosphines. Additionally, P-chiral phosphorus ligands were not necessary for achieving high enantioselectivity, and ligands with backbone chirality could also provide excellent ee’s in asymmetric hydrogenation. Furthermore, C2 symmetry was an important structural feature for developing new efficient chiral ligands. Kagan’s seminal work immediately led to the rapid development of chiral bisphosphorus ligands. Knowles made his significant discovery of a C2-symmetric chelating bisphosphine ligand, DIPAMP.9 Due to its high catalytic efficiency in Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of dehydroamino acids, DIPAMP was quickly employed in the industrial production of L-DOPA.10 The success of practical synthesis of L-DOPA via asymmetric hydrogenation constituted a milestone work and for this work Knowles was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2001.3k This work has enlightened chemists to realize * Corresponding author. 3029 Chem. Rev. 2003, 103, 3029−3069

New Chiral Phosphorus Ligands for Enantioselective Hydrogenation

Stereoselective organic reactions in water.

https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/file_store/production/162122/B5324BA5-F503-4BE9-947E-6F7ED01AAD04.pdf

Synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2

2.3. [4 + 4] Cycloadditions 1058 2.4. Photocycloadditions of Aromatic Compounds 1058 2.4.1. Benzene Derivatives 1058 2.4.2. Condensed Aromatic Compounds 1060 3. Photochemical Rearrangements 1061 4. Cyclizations 1064 4.1. Pericyclizations 1064 4.2. Norrish−Yang Reaction 1066 5. Photochemical Extrusion of Small Molecules 1067 6. Photochemical Electron Transfer 1068 6.1. Photochemical Electron-Transfer Reactions with a Catalytic Sensitizer 1068

Photochemical Reactions as Key Steps in Organic Synthesis

Organic Carbonates as Solvents in Synthesis and Catalysis

Previously we reported the redox-neutral atom economic rhodium catalyzed coupling of terminal alkynes with carboxylic acids using the DPEphos ligand. We herein present a thorough mechanistic investigation applying various spectroscopic and spectrometric methods (NMR, in situ-IR, ESI-MS) in combination with DFT calculations. Our findings show that in contrast to the originally proposed mechanism, the catalytic cycle involves an intramolecular protonation and not an oxidative insertion of rhodium in the OH bond of the carboxylic acid. A σ-allyl complex was identified as the resting state of the catalytic transformation and characterized by X-ray crystallographic analysis. By means of ESI-MS investigations we were able to detect a reactive intermediate of the catalytic cycle.

Mechanistic Investigations of the Rhodium Catalyzed Propargylic CH Activation

Synthesis of a New Class of Functionalized Chiral Bisphospholane Ligands and the Application in Enantioselective Hydrogenations

Chiral β-Amino Acid Derivatives via Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Pressure dependent highly enantioselective hydrogenation of unsaturated beta-amino acid precursors.

Part III. COD versus NBD precatalysts. Dramatic difference in the asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral olefins with five-membered diphosphine Rh-hydrogenation catalysts

Detlef Heller

Papers

Mechanistic Investigations of the Rhodium Catalyzed Propargylic CH Activation

Synthesis of a New Class of Functionalized Chiral Bisphospholane Ligands and the Application in Enantioselective Hydrogenations

Chiral β-Amino Acid Derivatives via Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Pressure dependent highly enantioselective hydrogenation of unsaturated beta-amino acid precursors.

Part III. COD versus NBD precatalysts. Dramatic difference in the asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral olefins with five-membered diphosphine Rh-hydrogenation catalysts