| abstract |
New chiral phosphinopyrrolidine compounds of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R 1 is hydrogen or --COA 1 , --COOA 2 , --CONHA 3 , --SO 2 A 4 or --PO(A 5 ) 2 , A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 and A 5 each represents independently alkyl or aryl, R 2 is phenyl, di(lower-alkyl)aminophenyl, lower-alkoxyphenyl or 3,5-dimethyl-4-methoxyphenyl, and R 3 is phenyl, lower-alkylphenyl, di(lower-alkyl)aminophenyl, lower-alkoxyphenyl or 3,5-dimethyl-4-methoxyphenyl, with the proviso that R 2 and R 3 may not simultaneously by phenyl, p-di(lower-alkyl)-aminophenyl or p-lower-alkoxyphenyl, as well as the use of these compounds as ligand for a metal complex catalyst for asymmetric synthesis of optically active compounds. The new chiral phosphinopyrrolidine compounds are useful ligands which attain both of high optical yield and high reaction efficiency in catalytic asymmetric reduction. |