Organocatalytic asymmetric hydrophosphination of nitroalkenes

Abstract

The use of a bifunctional Cinchonaalkaloidcatalyst has provided a new organocatalytic strategy for the enantioselective addition of diphenylphosphine to a range of nitroalkenes, affording optically active β-nitrophosphines (up to 99% ee after crystallization); this organocatalytic approach, providing a direct route to a new class of potentially useful enantiopure P,N-ligands, constitutes a bridge between the two complementary areas of asymmetric catalysis: organo- and metal-catalyzed transformations.