Marked enantioselectivity enhancements for Diels–Alder reactions in ionic liquids catalysed by platinum diphosphine complexes

Abstract

Asymmetric Diels–Alder reactions using platinum complexes of BINAP, or of conformationally flexible NUPHOS-type diphosphines, have been compared in dichloromethane and selected ionic liquids. Significant enhancements in the enantioselectivity (Δee ≈ 20%), as well as reaction rate, were achieved in ionic liquids compared with the organic media.