Abstract Two sets of amino acid based phosphoramidite ligands with either a BINOL backbone (S b-1a–e and R b-1a) or a flexible biphenol backbone (2a–c and 2f) were synthesized and evaluated in the rhodium-catalyzed hydrogenation of different functionalized alkenes: dimethyl itaconate (3), methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (4), methyl α- acetamidocinnamate (5) and N-(3, 4-dihydro-2-naphthalenyl) acetamide (6). The amino ...