Pincer-nickel catalyzed asymmetric addition of HPPh2 to enones toward the synthesis of chiral phosphines

The catalytic synthesis of chiral phosphines has been accomplished by the asymmetric addition of phosphine to electron-deficient alkenes in the presence of the newly developed unsymmetric pincer-nickel complex. Various chiral phosphines were obtained in 61–92% yields with up to 98% ee.