title: Asymmetric hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic esters with chiral iridium N,P ligand complexes.
abstract: Enantioselective conjugate reduction of a wide range of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic esters was achieved using chiral Ir N,P complexes as hydrogenation catalysts. Depending on the substitution pattern of the substrate, different ligands perform best. α,β-Unsaturated carboxylic esters substituted at the α position are less problematic substrates than originally anticipated and in some cases α-substituted substrates actually reacted with higher enantioselectivity than their β-substituted analogues. The resulting saturated esters with a stereogenic center in the α or β position were obtained in high enantiomeric purity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Woodmansee
authors.forename: Marc-André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tröndlin
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hörmann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pfaltz