A class of readily available optically pure 7,7′-disubstituted BINAPs for asymmetric catalysis

A class of optically pure 7,7′-disubstituted BINAPs have been prepared starting with a catalytic asymmetric oxidative coupling reaction. A general, concise, and straightforward synthetic procedure has been established, and is suitable for all optically pure 7,7′-disubstituted BINAPs 1a-h, regardless of the substituents' structure in the 7,7′-positions. The catalytic potential of this class of ligands has been investigated in the highly enantioselective Rh-catalyzed 1,4-addition of aryl boronic acids to enones (up to 99.8% ee), and Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of simple aromatic ketones (up to S/C=100,000, up to 98% ee) and β-ketoesters (up to S/C=10,000, up to 99.8% ee), respectively.