Recent advances in asymmetric catalysis. Synthetic applications to biologically active compounds

New chiral cationic ruthenium complexes have been used for the industrial s ynthesis of (+)-dihydrojasmonate. A new class of electron-rich C-2-symmetri c 2,4-disubstituted phosphetanes (CnrPHOS) was developed. Preliminary evalu ation of their catalytic properties revealed high efficiency in rhodium and ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenations. A new stereochemical model is presented in which the phosphetane Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation follows an apparent stability-controlled mechanism.