Heteroaromatic diphosphines as chiral ligands

In a method for the realization of stereocontrolled reductions, the improvement which comprises

• utilizing a chiral complex as chiral catalyst for the realization of stereocontrolled reductions, and said chiral catalyst comprising a complex between a transition metal and a chiral diphosphine constituted by an aromatic pentatomic biheterocyclic system,
• where said chiral diphosphine is constituted by an aromatic pentatomic biheterocyclic system having the following formula:
• where X is C or N;
• W is C or N;
• and with the proviso that only one of X or W is N;
• where:
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, phenyl, aryl, linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, COOR3, where R3 is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10;
• Y is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, substituted phenyl where substituents are selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, halogen, OR6 where R6 is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, aryl, substituted aryl where substituents are selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, halogen, OR6 where R6 is linear, branched or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, linear, branched or cyclic alkyl C3-C10;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, substituted phenyl where substituents are selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, halogen, OR6 where R6 is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, aryl, substituted aryl where substituents are selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, halogen, OR6 where R6 is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, OR5, where R5 is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, or
• each pentatomic heterocyclic aromatic ring of said system is optionally fused to an optionally substituted benzene or naphthalene ring, wherein the optional substituents are selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, halogen, OR6 where R6 is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, or unsubstituted according to the following formula:
• or according to the following formula:
• where X is N;
• and
• where R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear, branched, cyclic, or unsubstituted alkyl C1-C10, n ranges from 0 to 6;
• where R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, phenyl, aryl, linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10, COOR3, where R3 is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl C1-C10.