Improved and Efficient Synthesis of Chiral N,P-Ligands via Cyclic Sulfamidates for Asymmetric Addition of Butyllithium to Benzaldehyde

A robust and scaleable route to chiral 1-isopropylamino-2-(diphenylphosphino)ethanes is described via the ring-opening of chiral, cyclic sulfamidates with potassium diphenylphosphide (KPPh(2)). The novel protocol offers a robust access to gram quantities of chiral amino phosphinoethanes in high yields. The Li-amides of the chiral aminophosphines were evaluated as chiral ligands in the asymmetric addition of n-butyllithium (BuLi) to benzaldehyde, yielding 1-phenylpentanol up to 98% ee.