Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Ferrocenes and <i>P</i>-Stereogenic Bisphosphines

Abstract

The catalytic asymmetric synthesis of planar chiral ferrocenes and P-stereogenic phosphines and bisphosphines (important classes of chiral ligands for metal-catalyzed asymmetric processes) is successfully demonstrated using n-BuLi or s-BuLi in combination with substoichiometric quantities (0.1-0.5 equiv) of (-)-sparteine or the (+)-sparteine surrogate.