Method of preparing optically active diphosphine ligands

摘要

Compound (1), ligand of a catalyst complex useful for asymmetric syntheses, is prepared in an economical way by reacting compound (2) with phosphine oxide (3) in the presence of a transition metal/phosphine complex as follows: <CHEM> where the double line consisting of a continuous line and a dotted line signifies either a double bond or a single bond, respectively forming part of a naphthalene ring or an octahydronaphthalene ring depending on whether the naphthalene ring was subjected to the reduction or not; Tf represents a trifluoromethanesulfonyl group; and Ar represents a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group (bearing 1 to 3 substituents which may be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, lower alkyl group, lower alkoxy group and halogenated lower alkyl group) or a naphthyl group which may bear a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy substituent).