Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral α-Aryl or α-Alkyl Substituted Ethyiphosphonates via Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation with a P-Stereogenic BoPhoz-Type Ligand.

An enantioselective synthesis of optically active 1-aryl or 1-alkyl substituted ethyiphosphonates, based on the first Rh- catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of corresponding α,β-unsaturated precursors with a P-stereogenic BoPhoz-type ligand under the mild condition, was developed, in which a wide range of 1-aryl or 1-alkyl substituted ethyiphosphonates were achieved in up to 98% ee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]