Synfacts 2006(5): 0465-0465  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-934429
Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis and Stereoselective Reactions
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Nonlinear Effects in Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Olefin Hydrogenation

Contributor(s): Hisashi Yamamoto, Matthew Boxer
M. T. Reetz*, Y. Fu, A. Meiswinkel
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim/Ruhr, Germany
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Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
21. April 2006 (online)

Significance

This is a very nice mechanistic and theoretical study aimed at further illumination of the nonlinear effects commonly seen in rhodium-catalyzed hydrogenations. Chiral catalysts with low optical purity (i.e. 80% ee) can be combined with a racemic catalyst, and high enantioselectivity for the hydrogenation can still be observed (>90% ee). While many rate constants, homo- versus hetero-combinations of catalysts and the ratios of this combination make this a complex system to be fully understood, the authors have presented a few ideas on the important factors influencing the nonlinear effect.