Iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazinium salts.

Highly enantioselective iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazinium salts has been achieved, providing a direct access to chiral 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine derivatives with up to 95% ee. The key feature of the reaction is the addition of cesium carbonate, which increases the conversion and prohibits the racemization pathway of products.