Soluble polyester-supported chiral phosphines

Abstract

Novel soluble polyester-supported chiral phosphines have been prepared and have been used in the preparation of rhodium and ruthenium catalysts. Such polymer-supported catalysts show high catalytic activities and enantioselectivities. In the case of Ru(BINAP) catalyst supported on soluble polyester, the resulting catalysts were found to be more active than those of the corresponding homogeneous Ru(BINAP) catalysts in the asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-arylpropenoic acids. These soluble polyester-supported catalysts can be easily separated from the reaction mixture and then be reused without loss of activity and selectivity.