Highly enantioselective and diastereoselective synthesis of chiral amino alcohols by ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of alpha-amino aliphatic ketones.

A highly efficient asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic acyclic alpha-amino aliphatic ketones via dynamic kinetic resolution has been realized, providing chiral amino alcohols in excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities. A hydrogen-bonding transition state mode was proposed for explaining the high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity of the reaction.