Sterically hindered phosphine ligands and uses thereof

A catalyst composition, comprising:

• a Group 8 metal;
• and
• a ligand having a structure selected from the group consisting of:
• 70
• wherein R, R′ and R″ are selected from the group consisting of H, a 1-10 carbon moiety, OR1, and NR2R3, wherein R1, R2, and R3 are each individually a 1-10 carbon moiety, with the proviso that one of R, R′, or R″ is not H, and that R, R′, and R″ together do not form an adamantyl moiety;
• and
• 71
• wherein L is selected from the group consisting of a 1-30 carbon moiety with a tertiary carbon bound to phosphorous.

A catalyst composition, comprising:

• a Group 8 metal;
• and
• a ligand having a structure
• 76
• wherein R′, R″, and R′″ are selected from the group consisting of H and a 1-10 carbon moiety with the proviso that only one of R′, R″, and R′″ is H, and that R, R′, and R″ together do not form an adamantyl moiety;
• and wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted 1-10 carbon moiety.

A catalyst composition, comprising:

• a Group 8 metal;
• and
• a ligand having a structure
• 77
• wherein R is a 1-30 carbon moiety, and wherein R is bonded to P at a tertiary carbon atom.

A catalyst composition, comprising:

• a Group 8 metal;
• and
• a ligand having a structure
• 78
• wherein R is a 1-30 carbon moiety, and wherein R is bonded to P at a tertiary carbon atom, with the provisio that R is not t-butyl.

A method of forming a compound having a carbon-oxygen, carbon-nitrogen, carbon-sulfur, or carbon-carbon bond, comprising the step of:

• reacting a first substrate and a second substrate in the presence of a transition metal catalyst and wherein said transition metal catalyst comprises a Group 8 metal and a ligand having a structure selected from the group consisting of:
• 79
• wherein R, R′ and R″ are selected from the group consisting of H, a 1-10 carbon moiety, OR1, and NR2R3, wherein R1, R2, and R3 are each individually a 1-10 carbon moiety, with the proviso that one of R, R′, or R″ is not H, and that R, R′, and R″ together do not form an adamantyl moiety;
• and
• 80
• wherein L is selected from the group consisting of wherein L is selected from the group consisting of a 1-30 carbon moiety with a tertiary carbon bound to phosphorous, under reaction conditions effective to form said compound, wherein said compound comprises a carbon-oxygen, carbon-nitrogen, carbon-sulfur, or carbon-carbon bond between said first substrate and said second substrate.