Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of indanones: development of a new "axially chiral" bisphosphine ligand.

A rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric isomerization of racemic alpha-arylpropargyl alcohols to beta-chiral indanones has been developed. High enantioselectivity has been realized by the use of a newly developed axially chiral bisphosphine ligand. This ligand is unique in the sense that its axial chirality is fixed to a single configuration upon complexation to a transition metal due to other chiral axes existing within the same molecule.