Enantioselective Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of 3-aryl-2-phosphonomethylpropenoates by a new class of chiral ferrocenyl diphosphine ligands.

A new class of chiral ferrocenyl diphosphine ligands with an imidazole ring, (R(c),S(Fc))-ImiFerroPhos, has been prepared from acylferrocenes through a five-step transformation and successfully applied in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of various 3-aryl-substituted 2-phosphonomethylpropenoates, in which a series of chiral 3-phosphono-2-arylmethylpropanoic acid derivatives were achieved in ee values of up to 98%.