Highly Enantioselective and Diastereoselective Synthesis of Chiral Amino Alcohols by Ruthenium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of α-Amino Aliphatic Ketones

A highly efficient asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic acyclic alpha-amino aliphatic ketones via dynamic kinetic resolution has been realized, providing chiral amino alcohols in excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities. A hydrogen-bonding transition state mode was proposed for explaining the high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity of the reaction.