Asymmetric Activation/Deactivation of Racemic Ru Catalysts for Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Ketonic Substrates

Abstract

By maximizing the difference in the catalytic activity between enantiomers of racemic catalysts, high enantioselectivity can be achieved in the hydrogenation of ketones. This is accomplished through a combination of asymmetric activation and deactivation (see scheme).