Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation in Aqueous Media of Acetophenone

Significance

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of ketones using montosylated diamines and 1,2-aminoalcohols has been extensively studied by Noyori and co-workers. Several studies for increasing the reactivity and enantioselectivity of the reaction have been done to improve this method. This work extends those studies to show the importance of electron attractors and donors on the ArSO₂ moiety of the diamine ligand. The recent report of ATH in aqueous media under non-inert atmospheric conditions extends the ­utility and industrial application of this system.