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The review outlines the true substrate scope for largely unfunctionalized alkenes in asymmetric hydrogenations and highlights areas for which further research is justified. The real significance for the review is that methods are required for asymmetric hydrogenations of alkenes functionalities that are either remote or are proximal only to functional groups that have weak coordinating characteristics.

The potential of iridium complexes of the N-heterocyclic carbene oxazoline ligands in asymmetric hydrogenations of arylalkenes is examined. Pressure dependence studies disclosed that many reactions performed with high conversions and optimal enantioselectivities in approximately 2h when only 1 bar of hydrogen was used.

A detailed study of iridium-mediated hydrogenation reactions of trisubstituted arylalkenes through density functional theory (DFT) is presented. The studies provide a suitable mechanistic model for rational developments in the field.

A study is conducted to examine the asymmetric hydrogenations of dienes with little or no other functionality. Hydrogenation of 2,3-diphenylbutadiene to the corresponding 2,3-diphenylbutanes could occur directly or via formation of the alkenes.