Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of α-Aminoalkyl α‘-Chloromethyl Ketones with Chiral Rh Complexes

Abstract
Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of N-substituted (3S)-3-amino-1-chloro-4-phenyl-2-butanones in the presence of CpRhCl[(R,R)-Tsdpen] (S/C = 1000) with a mixture of formic acid/triethylamine gave N-substituted (2R,3S)-3-amino-1-chloro-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanes with up to 93% de in a quantitative yield, and reduction with the enantiomeric catalyst CpRhCl[(S,S)-Tsdpen] gave (2S,3S)-diastereomeric alcohol with up to 96% de.