HIGHLY EFFICIENT ASYMMETRIC HYDROGENATION OF ACTIVATED AND UNACTIVATED KETONES CATALYZED BY RHODIUM(I) AMINOPHOSPHINE - AND AMIDOPHOSPHINE PHOSPHINITE COMPLEXES - BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF THE NONCHIRAL LIGAND

The chiral ligands aminophosphine- and amidophosphine-phosphinites (4- 8), when associated to neutral rhodium precursors, are efficient ligan ds for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketopantolactone 1, N-benzylphe nylglyoxamide 2, and 2-aminoacetophenone 3. Under mild conditions the hydrogenations led to high enantiomeric excesses (67-98.7%). The effec t of the non chiral ligand (Cl, I, CH3CO2, CF3CO2, and C3F7CO2) is pre sented.