Self-supported heterogeneous catalysts for enantioselective hydrogenation

"Self-supported" catalysts were prepared by the reaction of bis-MonoPhos ligand with rhodium(I) metallic ion on the basis of molecular assembling through coordination. These polymeric metal-organic assemblies are insoluble in common organic solvents and, as a result, provide an excellent opportunity for running asymmetric catalysis heterogeneously. The application of the self-supported Rh(II) catalysts in the asymmetric hydrogenation of olefin derivatives afforded a variety of enantioenriched amino acid and amine derivatives with high yields and enantioselectivities. This strategy might provide a new direction in asymmetric catalysis, particularly for the development of practical heterogeneous asymmetric synthesis of optically active compounds.