Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Enol Ester Phosphonates: A Versatile Procedure for the Preparation of Chiral β-Hydroxyphosphonates

Abstract

P–OP ′til you drop: Rhodium catalysts with chiral phosphane–phosphite ligands (P–OP) facilitate the enantioselective hydrogenation of β-acyloxy α,β-unsaturated phosphonates, affording β-acyloxyphosphonates in high enantiomeric excess (see scheme). These products can be easily converted into synthetically valuable β-hydroxyphosphonates without racemization.