The application of pyranoside phosphite-pyridine ligands to enantioselective Ir-catalyzed hydrogenations of highly unfunctionalized olefins

Eight (biaryl)phosphite/pyridine ligands 1–2a–d have been prepared by the modular functionalization of positions C-2 and C-3 of two d-glucopyranoside backbones. The chiral ligands were examined in the iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of poorly functionalized alkenes, as a function of the relative position of the coordinating groups and the geometric properties of the biaryl phosphite moieties. Enantiomeric excesses of up to 90% were achieved in the hydrogenation of E-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-butene by using 1a and 1c, which seemingly combine the beneficial effect of the phosphite at the 2-position with the matching (R_ax)-configuration of their encumbered biaryl substituents. The results of the hydrogenation of more challenging substrates, such as Z-trisubstituted alkenes, alkenes with a neighboring polar group or demanding 1,1-di-substituted alkenes, generally confirmed this trend, and in some significant cases, the chiral hydrogenated products were isolated with ees of 65–79%.