A Chiral Poly(2,2′-bipyridyl rhodium(III) complex) Film Electrode for Asymmetric Induction in Electrosynthesis

Enantioselective electrocatalytic hydrogenation of prochiral ketones on a new chiral electrode is reported. The enantioselectivity of the electrode, which was synthesized by the oxidative electropolymerization of a rhodium complex containing optically active pyrrole-substituted 2,2′-bypyridine ligands, is demonstrated to be comparable to that of the homogeneous system. However, as the amount of catalyst used in the electrode system can be markedly reduced compared with the homogeneous system, significantly higher turnover is achieved.