Highly Enantioselective Iridium‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Cyclic Enamides

The MaxPHOX–Ir catalyst system provided the highest selectivity ever reported for the reduction of cyclic enamides derived from α‐ and β‐tetralones. This result indicates that iridium catalysts are also proficient in reducing alkenes bearing metal‐coordinating groups. In the present system, selectivity was pressure‐dependent: In most cases, a decrease in the H₂ pressure to 3 bar resulted in an increase in enantioselectivity. Moreover, the process can be carried out in environmentally friendly solvents, such as methanol and ethyl acetate, with no loss of selectivity.