Enantioselective hydrogenation of acrylic acids

Enantioselective hydrogenation of acrylic acid derivatives provides a straightforward access to optically active molecules of biological interest such as Naproxen or Ibuprofen as lead molecules. Initially performed with rhodium and ruthenium catalysts, this reaction has successively seen the appearance of efficient iridium catalysts and more recently catalysts based on non-noble metals. A huge variety of chiral ligands has been introduced, leading to productive and selective metal/ligand associations. The present review provides a chronological report of the advances that have been done during the last fifty years for the preparation of optically active acids via enantioselective hydrogenation of prochiral α,β-unsaturated acids.