Highly Efficient and Enantioselective Iridium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of N‐Arylimines

Abstract A catalytic method employing the cationic iridium‐(Sc,Rp)‐DuanPhos [(1R,1′R,2S,2′S)‐2,2′‐di‐tert‐butyl‐2,2′,3,3′‐tetrahydro‐1H,1′H‐1,1′‐biisophosphindole] complex and BARF {tetrakis[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate} counterion effectively catalyzes the enantioselective hydrogenation of acyclic N‐arylimines with high turnover numbers (up to 10,000 TON) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee), achieving the practical synthesis of chiral secondary amines.