Substrate-Binding Phosphine Ligand in Enantioselective Hydroformylation

Significance

The authors report an enantioselective hydroformylation of allylic amines using a tricyclic ligand. The strategy of using a catalytic ligand to bind both the substrate and the transition-metal catalyst has only recently been employed by the authors (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 9210) as well as by the Breit group (e.g., ­Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 7346). The main benefits of this strategy versus alternative enantio­selective rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylations are the higher regioselectivity and reactivity under milder conditions.