Highly enantioselective hydrogenation of ο-alkoxy tetrasubstituted enamides catalyzed by a Rh/(R,S)-JosiPhos catalyst.

Rh/(R,S)-JosiPhos complex-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of o-alkoxy tetrasubstituted enamides has been achieved, and it furnished a set of β-amino alcohol analogues in high yields and excellent enantiomeric excesses (>99% conversion, up to 99% ee).This method provides valuable chiral building blocks in chiral pharmaceuticals and useful motifs for catalysts.