Chiral bisphosphine ligands based on quinoline oligoamide foldamers: application in asymmetric hydrogenation

Abstract

A series of chiral bisphosphine ligands were designed and synthesized based on single-handed quinoline oligoamide foldamers. The bisphosphine ligands can coordinate with Rh(cod)₂BF₄ in a 1 : 1 stoichiometry and the resulted chiral Rh(I) catalysts were applied in the asymmetric hydrogenation of α-dehydroamino acid esters, in which excellent conversions and promising levels of enantioselectivity were achieved.