Enantiopure 1,2-bis(tert-butylmethylphosphino)benzene as a highly efficient ligand in rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation.

An electron-rich P-stereogenic bisphosphine ligand named "BenzP*" was conveniently prepared from o-dibromobenzene and enantiopure tert-butylmethylphosphine-borane. Its rhodium complex exhibited excellent enantioselectivities of up to 99.9% and high catalytic activity of up to 10,000 h(-1) TOF in asymmetric hydrogenations of various functionalized alkenes.