Novel diazaphospholane ligands for asymmetric catalysis

A process for subjecting an olefin an asymmetric reaction selected from the group consisting of hydroformylation, hydrocyanation, hydrocarboxylation and hydroesterification, which is carried out in the presence of, as catalyst, a transition metal complex of a bis(diazaphospholane) ligand according to formula (1), or the opposite enantiomer thereof, wherein (a) Bridge is a linking group selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted and unsubstituted aryl, substituted and unsubstituted heterocyclyl, and substituted and unsubstituted ferrocenyl groups;

• (b) W, at each occurrence, is independently selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted aryl and heteroaryl, substituted and unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted and unsubstituted heterocyclyl, and substituted and unsubstituted alkyl;
• (c) T, at each occurrence, is independently selected from the group consisting of —C(O)OR3, —C(O)NR4R5, —C(O)N(R4)OR5, OR3, NR4R5, substituted and unsubstituted oxazole, substituted and unsubstituted oxazoline, substituted and unsubstituted oxazolidine, and substituted and unsubstituted alkyl;
• (d) R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, substituted and unsubstituted alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted cycloalkyl, and substituted and unsubstituted aryl;
• or R1 and R2 may join together to form a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenyl;
• (e) R3, R4 and R5 are each independently selected from the group consisting of —H, substituted and unsubstituted alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted aryl, substituted and unsubstituted aralkyl, substituted and unsubstituted heterocyclyl, substituted and unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl;
• or R4 and R5 may join together to form a non-aromatic heterocyclyl;
• and (f) the dashed line, at each occurrence, represents an optional additional bond, such that a single or double carbon-carbon bond exists between C(R1) and C(R2).