Itaconic acid triethylammonium formate

Hydrogenation of itaconic acid (14) with Rh(COD)Cl2 catalyst and commercially available triethylammonium formate as hydrogen source delivers (5)-(15) in good enantiomeric excess (equation 14) with hydrogen as reductant instead of ammonium formate a 94% ee is obtained. ... 

Asymmetric hydrogen transfer from EtOH, /-PrOH or triethylammonium formate to Z-a-acetamidocinnamic acid Z-3.32 (R = Ph, Z = COMe, R = H) or to itaconic acid 7.7 (R = H) is highly enantioselective when the catalyst is a binap-Ru complex [873, 1333] (Figure 7.14). The relationship between the absolute configuration of the saturated add and the binap ligand is the same as in the catalytic hydrogenation. However, hydrogen transfer to other a,P-unsaturated acids, such as the precursor of naproxen (7.15), is less enantioselective [1333],... 

---