Zirconium-catalyzed intermolecular hydrophosphination using a chiral, air-stable primary phosphine

Abstract

Catalytic hydrophosphination of alkenes using a chiral, air-stable primary phosphine, (R)-[2′-methoxy(1,1′-binapthalen)-2-yl]phosphine, (R)-MeO-MOPH₂, proceeds under mild conditions with a zirconium catalyst, [κ⁵-N,N,N,N,C-(Me₃SiNCH₂CH₂)₂NCH₂CH₂NSiMe₂CH]Zr (1), to selectively furnish anti-Markovnikov, air-stable secondary phosphines or tertiary phosphines with slight modification of the protocol. An intermediate in the catalysis, [(N₃N)Zr(R)-MeO-MOPH] (4), was structurally characterized.