A highly active manganese catalyst for enantioselective ketone and ester hydrogenation

A new hydrogenation catalyst based on a manganese complex of a chiral P,N,N ligand has been found to be especially active for the hydrogenation of esters down to 0.1 mol% catalyst loading, and gives up to 97% e.e. in the hydrogenation of pro-chiral deactivated ketones at 30-50 oC