Selective Hydrogenation for Fine Chemicals: Recent Trends and New Developments

Abstract In this overview, recent trends and developments for the selective hydrogenation of multifunctional molecules are discussed and assessed from the point of view of fine chemicals synthesis. In a first part, the design and preparation of catalysts and ligands with interesting properties are summarized, particularly meant for the catalysis specialist. The following topics are described in some detail: How enantioselective homogeneous catalysts are designed and tested; new effective chiral monodentate phosphines; successful bidentate phosphines ligand families (with axially chiral biaryl‐ and ferrocenyl‐based backbones, new phospholanes and with stereogenic phosphorus); novel bidentate ligand families…