Development of homogeneous and heterogenized rhodium(I) and palladium(II) complexes with ligands based on a chiral proton sponge building block and their application as catalysts.

Chiral compounds prepared from proton sponge building block 8-((2R,5R)-2,5-dimethylpyrrolidin-1-yl)naphthalen-1-amine were found to be effective chiral ligands for obtaining complexes of rhodium(I) and palladium(II) by reaction with [RhCl(cod)](2), PdCl(2)(cod) or Pd(OAc)(2). The complexes bearing triethoxysilane groups were immobilized on mesoporous MCM-41 in order to obtain new heterogeneous catalysts. Both materials are active in the hydrogenation of alkenes and could be recycled without loss of activity or enantioselectivity.