Chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of quinolin-3-amines.

A chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic amines, quinolin-3-amines, was successfully developed with up to 99% ee. To supplement our previous work on the Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-alkyl substituted quinolin-3-amines, a number of 2-aryl substituted substrates were reduced to provide a series of valuable chiral exocyclic amines with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities.