Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones catalyzed by nickel complex with new PNO-type ligands

The new polydentate mixed-N, P, O chiral ligands have been synthesized by the condensation of bis(o-formylphenyl)-phenylphosphane and R-phenylglycinol in CHCl3, and fully characterized by IR, NMR and EIMS spectra. These ligands were employed with a simple Ni complex Ni(PPhs)2Cl2in situ as catalytic systems for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones, and the corresponding optical alcohols were obtained with up to 84% ee under mild conditions.