Rhodium/MonoPhos-Catalysed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Enamides

The monodentate phosphoramidite MonoPhos has been used in the rhodium-catalysed asymmetric hydrogenation of N-acetyl-α-arylenamides. This ligand is readily available via a one-step procedure and is air stable. Its Rh(I) complex, which is an effective catalyst precursor for the hydrogenation of dehydroamino acids, also gives high enantioselectivities for this class of substrates. Because of the facile synthesis and stability of MonoPhos, its complex provides a general solution in preparing chiral amine derivatives through asymmetric hydrogenation.