New rhodium complexes anchored on modified USY zeolites. A remarkable effect of the support on the enantioselectivity of catalytic hydrogenation of prochiral alkenes

Rh-complexes with N-based chiral ligands, when anchored on a modified USY-zeolite which contains profuse supermicropores, produce a remarkable increase of enantioselectivity (>95%) in the hydrogenation of N-acyldehydrophenylalanine derivatives and represent a truly heterogeneous counterpart of the homogeneous organometallic catalysts.