Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Enol Ester Phosphonates: A Versatile Procedure for the Preparation of Chiral β‐Hydroxyphosphonates

P–OP ′til you drop: Rhodium catalysts with chiral phosphane–phosphite ligands (P–OP) facilitate the enantioselective hydrogenation of β‐acyloxy α,β‐unsaturated phosphonates, affording β‐acyloxyphosphonates in high enantiomeric excess (see scheme). These products can be easily converted into synthetically valuable β‐hydroxyphosphonates without racemization.