Iridium, tetrakis catalyst hydrogenation

Iridium-Phosphinooxazoline Catalysts. Asymmetric hydrogenation of simple olefins with chiral Rh or Ru catalysts generally shows low reactivity and unsatisfactory enantioselectivity (198,248,249). However, several unfunctionalized olefins can be hydrogenated in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity by using iridium catalysts with chiral phosphinooxazoline ligands (60,186,187, 189,191-194,250) (Fig. 56). To avoid catalyst deactivation, the extremely weakly coordinating anion tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifiuoromethyl)phenyl]borate has to be used (182,251). 

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