Highly Selective Iridium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Trifluoromethyl Olefins: A New Route to Trifluoromethyl‐ Bearing Stereocenters

Fluorine‐containing compounds are useful in many applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to ferroelectric crystals. We have developed a new, highly enantioselective synthetic route to trifluoromethyl‐bearing stereocenters in up to 96% ee via asymmetric hydrogenation using N,P‐ligated iridium catalysts. We also hydrogenated an isomeric mixture of olefins; this reaction gave the hydrogenation product highly enantioselectively (87% ee ), and only the E isomer was present after the reaction had reached 56% conversion.