Diastereoselective Hydrogenation of Folic Acid Ester

Tetrahydrofolic acid dimethylester (THFMe2 mixture of diastereomers) 

A number of candidates from our ligand library have been employed in this survey, bearing aliphatic as well as aromatic substituents on the phosphorus donor atoms, together with the benchmark ligands Josiphos and BINAP, which were included in this examination for comparison purposes. The results are collected in Table 1.4.3. 

Both classes of ligands gave very good results, the Daniphos ligands having higher enantioselectivities but slower kinetics (see Table 1.4.4). 

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