Cobalt Precursors for High-Throughput Discovery of Base Metal Asymmetric Alkene Hydrogenation Catalysts

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1243550
• Publication Date: 2013-11-28T19:20:24Z
• Authors: Max R. Friedfeld; Michael Shevlin; Jordan M. Hoyt; Shane W. Krska; Matthew T. Tudge; Paul J. Chirik
• Keywords: Alkene; Asymmetric hydrogenation

Asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes is one the most widely used methods for preparation single enantiomer compounds, especially in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. For more than four decades, precious metal complexes containing rhodium, iridium, ruthenium have been predominantly as catalysts. Here, we report rapid evaluation libraries chiral phosphine ligands with a set simple cobalt precursors. From these studies, base precatalysts discovered functionalized unfunctionalized olefins high enantiomeric excesses, demonstrating potential utility earth-abundant metals asymmetric hydrogenation.