Hoffmann-la Roche Inc.

Bernd Heiser

Rudolf Schmid

Emil A Broger

Joseph Foricher

Yvo Crameri

Marco Cereghetti

Hansjorg Stoller

Novel chiral phosphorus compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein R signifies lower alkyl, R.sup.1 signifies phenyl and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 signify hydrogen or lower alkoxy, which are suitable in the form of complexes with a metal of Group VIII as catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenations and for enantioselective hydrogen displacements in prochiral allylic systems.

Chiral phosphorus compounds

A process for the preparation of isoquinoline derivatives of the formulas ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 have the significances herein after set forth in the description, is described. The compounds of formula IV are obtained by asymmetrically hydrogenating the compounds of formula I. The compounds of formula I are, in turn, obtained by isomerizing compounds of the formulas ##STR2## or a mixture of compounds of the formulas ##STR3##

Isoquinoline derivatives

Chiral phosphines

Chirale phosphines

A process for producing chiral enamines by isomerizing a beta, gamma unsaturated amine with a rhodium-diphosphine complex with the addition of an achiral triarylphosphine and, if desired, hydrolyzing the compound of the enamine I obtained to the corresponding aldehyde.

Isomerization

The invention is concerned with novel isoquinoline derivatives of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, aryl-lower alkyl or aryl-lower alkoxy and

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Inzlingen, Germany

Bernd Heiser