Highly enantioselective Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of beta,gamma-unsaturated phosphonates with chiral ferrocene-based monophosphoramidite ligands.

An enantioselective synthesis of chiral alkylphosphonates bearing a beta-stereogenic center, based on the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of corresponding beta-substituted beta,gamma-unsaturated phosphonates with a ferrocene-based monophosphoramidite ligand under the mild hydrogenation conditions, was developed, in which an ee value of up to 98% was obtained.