Six-membered bis(azaphosphorinane), readily available ligand for highly enantioselective asymmetric hydrogenations

A new six-membered bis(azaphosphorinane) ligand has been readily prepared starting from an inexpensive chiral epoxide; excellent enantioselectivities (up to over 99% ee) have been achieved in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenations of β-dehydroamino acid derivatives and α-arylenamides.