Enantioselective catalysis using phosphorus-donor ligands containing two or three P-N or P-O bonds.

This review describes some recent developments in the area of asymmetric catalysis using organometallic complexes of ligands which contain two or three P-O or P-N bonds. This category of ligands has, until the last five years or so, been underrepresented in asymmetric catalysis, particularly in contrast to phosphine ligands. Recent breakthroughs in methodology for the synthesis and manipulation of such materials have resulted in the delivery of ligands which demonstrate remarkably high enantioinduction properties in a series of asymmetric transformations.