The four-step straightforward synthesis of enantiopure (+)- and (-)-2,2',5,5'-tetramethyl-4,4'-bis-(diphenylphoshino)-3,3'-bithiophene (tetraMe-BITIOP), a new C2-symmetry chelating ligand for transition metals, is described, starting from 2,5-dimethylthiophene. The complexes of this electron-rich diphosphine with Ru(II) and Rh(I) were used as catalysts in some homogeneous hydrogenation reactions of prostereogenic carbonyl functions of alpha- and beta-ketoesters, of prostereogenic carbon-carbon double bonds of substituted acrylic acids, and of N-acetylenamino acids. The enantiomeric excesses were found to be excellent in all the experiments and comparable with the best results reported in the literature for the same reactions, carried out under similar experimental conditions, with the metal complexes of the most popular chiral diphosphine ligands as catalysts.

An efficient and short enantioselective synthesis of (S)- and (R)-tolterodine was performed by asymmetric hydrogenation of a coumarin intermediate, easily obtained by a Heck reaction from inexpensive and commercially available starting materials.

Racemic (+/-)-3,3'-bis(diphenylphosphinyl)-1,1'-dimethyl-2, 2'-biindole (1c) (N-Me-2-BINPO) and (+/-)-3, 3'-bis(diphenylphosphinyl)-1,1'-bis(methoxymethyl)-2,2'-biindole (1d) (N-MOM-2-BINPO) were synthesized in satisfactory yields following a three-step reaction sequence, starting from indole. Resolution of racemic 1c and 1d was achieved through fractional crystallization of their diastereomeric adducts with optically active dibenzoyl tartaric acids, followed by alkaline decomplexation of the diastereomerically pure salts. Their trichlorosilane reduction gave enantiopure phosphines (+)- and (-)-(1a) (N-Me-2-BINP) and (+)- and (-)-(1b) (N-MOM-2-BINP). The electrochemical oxidative potential of 1a and 1b was found to be 0. 52 and 0.60 V, respectively. Both the enantiomers of (1a) were tested as ligands of Ru(II) in asymmetric hydrogenation reactions of alpha- and beta-oxoesters. Reactions were found to be outstandingly fast and enantioselection quite good. Comparative kinetic experiments on the hydrogenation reaction of methyl acetoacetate carried out with 1a, 1c, BINAP, and other biheteroaromatic diphosphines as ligands of Ru(II) demonstrated that all the reactions follow a first-order kinetic. A linear relationship was found between the kinetic constant log and the electrochemical oxidative potential of the diphosphine ligand.

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