T
he asymmetric
hydrogenation of
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/alp
ha.gif" BORDER=0>-ketoesters on cinc
hona-modified supported platinum particlesis a prototype reaction in
heterogeneous c
hiral catalysis. T
he catalysis literature s
hows t
hat t
he reaction is
hig
hly metal-specific, t
hat it displays rate-en
hancement wit
h respect to t
he racemic reaction on t
henonmodified surface,
and t
hat t
he observed stereoselectivity is a sensitive function of substrate
and modifierstructure. T
his set of observations
has proven difficult to rationalize wit
hin t
he context of existing modelsfor t
he mec
hanism of t
he Orito reaction. T
he most widely discussed mec
hanistic models are based on t
heformation of c
hemisorbed 1:1 complexes t
hroug
h H-bonding between t
he quinuclidine function of t
hecinc
hona modifier
and t
he proc
hiral, keto-carbonyl, function of t
he substrate. Recent surface science studies,as well as advances in t
he area of C-H···O
hydrogen bonding, suggest t
hat c
hemisorption-inducedpolarization may lead to an aromatic-carbonyl H-bonding interaction between t
he aromatic anc
hor of t
hemodifier
and t
he coadsorbed substrate. By specifying t
hat t
he aromatic C-H···O interaction is to t
he proc
hiralcarbonyl
and t
hat it is accompanied by a H-bonding interaction between t
he ester carbonyl
and t
hequinuclidine function, we s
how t
hat it is possible to rationalize essentially all of t
he catalysis literature fort
he Orito reaction in terms of a single molecular mec
hanism. T
he generality of t
he proposed mec
hanisticmodel is demonstrated by addressing data from t
he literature for a representative range of substrates,modifiers, solvents,
and metals. Results of catalytic tests on an asymmetric diketone substrate are presentedin support of t
he model.