Fluoroalkylated BINAP ligands have been evaluated in the ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric hydrogenation of dimethyl itaconate in both MeOH and supercritical CO2 (scCO(2)). The reaction proceeds slower and gives a lower enantioselectivity in the latter, which is probably due to the lower polarity of scCO(2). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.