Chiral Recognition in Catalytic Hydrogenation of α-Acylaminoacrylic Acids by Cationic Rhodium(I) Complexes of Chiral Aminophosphines Derived from (R,R)-1,2-Cyclohexanediamine or (R)-1,2-propanediamine

Four chiral diphosphines, (R,R)-1,2-bis[N-methyl(diphenylphosphino)arnino]cyclohexane, (R,R)-1,2-bis[(diphenylphosphino) amino] cyclohexane, (R)-1,2-bis[N-methyl(diphenylphosphino)amino]propane, and (R)-1,2-bis[(diphenylphosphino)amino] propane have been prepared from the corresponding optically active diamines. The cationic 1,5-cyclooctadiene rhodium(I) complexes with these diphosphines act as effective homogeneous catalysts for the stereoselective hydrogenation of α-acylaminoacrylic acids. The optical yields and the absolute configurations of the products depend on the kind of diphosphine ligands. The (R,R)-1,2-bis[N-methyl(diphenylphosphino)amino]cyclohexane complex catalyst yields N-benzoyl-(S)-leucine, N-benzoyl-(S)-phenylalanine, and N-acetyl-(S)-phenylalanine in 94, 92, and 89% e.e., respectively. The other three catalysts are less effective (6–74% e.e.). The aminophosphine complexes with methyl groups on the nitrogen atoms always give (S)-amino acids, those with no methyl group (R)-amino acids. Such a difference in the chiral recognition has been discussed on the basis of circular dichroism spectra and Dreiding molecular models of the rhodium(I) complexes.