Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company

Johnson Matthey Inc.

Brian Adger

Walter Leitner

Antonio Zanotti-Gerosa

Frederick Ernest Hancock

Alan Dyke

Andreas Seger

Giancarlo Francio

Thomas Pullmann

Erick Moran Carreira

Thomas Pullman

Methods of making a chiral phosphorus compound of formula (X) are disclosed: wherein R, R, Rare chiral or achiral groups selected from the list consisting of substituted or unsubstituted straight-chain, branched-chain or cyclic aliphatic or aromatic groups and in which the pair R/Rmay be interconnected to form a ring.

Chiral phosphorus compound

The present invention relates to novel chiral phosphorus compounds which can be readily prepared from quinoline derivatives as inexpensive starting compounds and have the general formula (I) wherein R, R, R, R, Rare chiral or achiral organic residues which are derived from substituted or unsubstituted straight or branched chain or cyclic aliphatic or aromatic groups and which, in the case of the pairs R/Rand R/R, may be interconnected. Further, the invention relates to methods for the synthesis of chiral phosphorus compounds of general formula (I) and their use as catalyst components in processes for the preparation of optically active products.

A process for the preparation of diols by a Lewis acid-catalysed aldehyde addition reaction on hydroxyalkynes followed by hydrogenation is described. The process provides a wide range of diols from simple, readily available starting materials. In particular the process is suitable for preparing chiral 1,4-diols suitable for the preparation of chiral phospholane ligands for use in asymmetric catalysis.

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

Brian Adger