Dirhodium carboxylates catalyzed enantioselective coupling reactions of α-diazophosphonates, anilines, and electron-deficient aldehydes.

Chiral dirhodium carboxylate complexes ([Rh(2)(S-PTAD)(4)] or [Rh(2)(S-PTTL)(4)]) efficiently catalyze asymmetric three-component coupling reactions of α-diazophosphonates, anilines, and electron-deficient aldehydes to give α-amino-ß-hydroxyphosphonates. The high level of enantiocontrol provides evidence for the intermediacy of metal-bound ammonium ylide in the product-forming step.

Highly enantioselective intermolecular carbene insertion to C-H and Si-H bonds catalyzed by a chiral iridium(III) complex of a D4-symmetric Halterman porphyrin ligand.

The chiral iridium porphyrin [Ir((-)-D(4)-Por*)(Me)(EtOH)] displays excellent reactivity and stereoselectivity towards carbene insertion to C-H and Si-H bonds, affording corresponding products in high yields (up to 96%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee).