New chiral ferrocenyldiphosphine ligand for catalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

New chiral ferrocenyldiphosphine ligands (R)-(S)-3 and (R)-(S)-4 were prepared. The ligands were employed in Ru(II) catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones to give corresponding secondary alcohols. Up to 99% conversion with 90% e.e. was obtained on Ru(DMSO)(4)Cl-2/4 in transfer hydrogenation of acetophenones with propan-2-ol. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.