Transfer hydrogenation of activated ketones using novel chiral Ru(II)-N-arenesulfonyl-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine complexes

A series of α-keto esters and α,α,α-trifluoromethyl ketones were reduced in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities under Ru-catalysed transfer hydrogenation using novel chiral N-arenesulfonyl-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine ligands.     

Upgrading and expanding the scope of homogeneous transfer hydrogenation

Transfer hydrogenation using inexpensive and safe hydrogen sources of alcohols and formic acid has been studied thoroughly over the decades. In particular, the asymmetric version offers the state-of-the-art methods to obtain optically active alcohols and amines, which are valuable synthetic intermediates in the field of pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry. This digest paper highlights the recent notable advances in homogeneous transfer hydrogenation using transition metal complexes, especially in direction to establish practical greener processes by upgrading the catalyst performance or by expanding the scope of reducible functional groups.     

Further ‘tethered’ Ru(II) catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of ketones; the use of a benzylic linker and a cyclohexyldiamine ligand

The synthesis and characterisation of two new Ru(II) catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of ketones is described. In the case of 4, the novelty lies in the use of a benzyl tethering group between the asymmetric ligand part (TsDPEN) and the η⁶-arene ring, which increases the complex rigidity. For 5, the use of a cyclohexyldiamine as a chiral ligand is described for the first time. In the ATH of ketones in formic acid/triethylamine, alcohols with ees of up to 97% were formed.     

Efficient transfer hydrogenation of ketones in the presence of ruthenium N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts

Novel ruthenium carbene complexes have been in situ generated and tested for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Applying Ru(cod)(methylallyl)₂ in the presence of imidazolium salts in 2-propanol and sodium-2-propanolate as base, turnover frequencies up to 346 h⁻¹ have been obtained for reduction of acetophenone. A comparative study involving ruthenium carbene and ruthenium phosphine complexes demonstrated the higher activity of ruthenium carbene complexes.     

Ruthenium(II) complex catalysts bearing a pyridyl-supported pyrazolyl-imine ligand for transfer hydrogenation of ketones

A new class of hemilabile unsymmetrical 2-(1-arylimino)-6-(pyzazol-1-yl)pyridine ligands and their ruthenium(II) and nickel(II) NNN complexes were synthesized. The Ru(II) complex catalysts have been fully characterized and exhibited good to excellent catalytic activity in the transfer hydrogenation (TH) of ketones in refluxing 2-propanol. These results have demonstrated rare examples of active ruthenium(II) NNN complex catalysts that do not feature a N-H functionality for TH of ketones.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones in ethanol

A ruthenium catalyst formed in situ by combining [Ru(p-cymene)Cl₂]₂ and an amino acid hydroxy-amide was found to catalyze efficiently the asymmetric reduction of aryl alkyl ketones under transfer hydrogenation conditions using ethanol as the hydrogen donor. The secondary alcohol products were obtained in moderate to good yields and with good to excellent enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee).     

Manganese catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of a wide range of ketones catalyzed by manganese complex as well as chiral P_xN_y-type ligand under mild conditions was investigated. Using 2-propanol as hydrogen source, various ketones could be enantioselectively hydrogenated by combining cheap, readily available [MnBr(CO)₅] with chiral, 22-membered macrocyclic ligand (R,R,R',R')-CyP₂N₄ (L5) with 2 mol% of catalyst loading, affording highly valuable chiral alcohols with up to 95% ee.     

Ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines

The ruthenium complex prepared from [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ and (1S,2R)-1-amino-2-indanol is a very efficient catalyst for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of (R)-N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)ketimines in isopropanol. By carefully removing all possible moisture from the reaction medium, chiral primary amines with very high optical purities (up to >99% ee) can be easily prepared in excellent yields by the diastereoselective reduction of the imines followed by removal of the sulfinyl group under mild acidic conditions. Reaction times of 1-4 h were needed to complete the reduction reactions when they were performed at 40 °C.     

Efficient asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of activated olefins catalyzed by ruthenium amido complexes

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of activated olefins with chiral ruthenium amido complexes (Noyori catalyst) using formic acid-triethylamine azeotrope as hydrogen source resulted in excellent yields and high enantioselectivities (up to 88.5%).     

Chemoselective transfer hydrogenation to nitroarenes mediated by cubane-type Mo3S4 cluster catalysts

Chemoselective cubes: Cubane-type [Mo(3)S(4)X(3)(dmpe)(3)](+) clusters (dmpe = 1,2-(bis)dimethylphosphinoethane), in combination with an azeotropic 5:2 mixture of HCOOH and NEt(3) as the reducing agent, act as selective cluster catalysts (X = H) or precatalysts (X = Cl) for the transfer hydrogenation of functionalized nitroarenes, without the formation of hazardous hydroxylamines.     

Ruthenium(II) pincer complexes with oxazoline arms for efficient transfer hydrogenation reactions

Well-defined P^NN^CN pincer ruthenium complexes bearing both strong phosphine and weak oxazoline donors were developed. These easily accessible complexes exhibit significantly better catalytic activity in transfer hydrogenation of ketones compared to their PN³P analogs. These reactions proceed under mild and base-free conditions via protonation-deprotonation of the ‘NH’ group in the aromatization-dearomatization process.     

Stereoselective synthesis of syn β-hydroxy cycloalkane carboxylates: transfer hydrogenation of cyclic β-keto esters via dynamic kinetic resolution

The transfer hydrogenation of bicyclic and monocyclic β-keto esters using HCO₂H/Et₃N as the hydrogen source and TsDPEN-based Ru(II) catalysts proceeds with dynamic kinetic resolution to afford the corresponding cyclic β-hydroxy esters with moderate to excellent levels of diastereo- and enantioselectivities. The mild reaction conditions used make possible to preserve in most cases the syn relative configuration of the products, providing a complementary tool to known approaches to the synthesis of anti isomers.     

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of fluorinated quinazolinones

A series of fluorinated quinazolinones were hydrogenated using the chiral Pd/bisphosphine complex as the catalyst, giving the corresponding fluorinated dihydroquinazolinones with up to 98% enantioselectivity.     

Magnetically recoverable supported ruthenium catalyst for hydrogenation of alkynes and transfer hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds

A ruthenium (Ru) catalyst supported on magnetic nanoparticles (NiFe₂O₄) has been successfully synthesized and used for hydrogenation of alkynes at room temperature as well as transfer hydrogenation of a number of carbonyl compounds under microwave irradiation conditions. The catalyst shows excellent selectivity toward the desired products with very high yield even after five repeated uses.     

Novel recoverable catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

9-Amino(9-deoxy)epiquinine and 9-amino(9-deoxy)epicinchonine were applied in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones in both iridium and rhodium catalytic systems using i-propanol as the hydrogen source. Good to excellent conversions and enantioselectivities were observed with a variety of aromatic ketones. Moreover, the Ir complex and Rh complex of 9-amino(9-deoxy)cinchonine were recovered in high yields with dilute hydrochloric acid. The enantioselectivity of 1-phenylethanol was nearly maintained after six cycles.     

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated, α-tosyloxy and α-substituted ketones

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of cyclic and acyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones catalysed by η⁶-p-cymene/ruthenium(II) and η⁵-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl/rhodium(III) complexes have been investigated. Cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones appeared to be more suitable substrates for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure allylic alcohols than do acyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones. A proposed mechanism for the formation of 4-phenyl-[1,3]-dioxolan-2-one from α-tosyloxy- and halo-substituted acetophenones is discussed. The results of further investigations into the reduction of a range of α-tosyloxyacetophenones and the dynamic kinetic resolution of α-substituted ketones is presented.     

Asymmetric reduction of 2,2-dimethyl-6-(2-oxoalkyl/oxoaryl)-1,3-dioxin-4-ones and application to the synthesis of (+)-yashabushitriol

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of a series of 2,2-dimethyl-6-(2-oxoalkyl)-1,3-dioxin-4-ones and 2,2-dimethyl-6-(2-oxoaryl)-1,3-dioxin-4-ones was achieved in high enantiomeric excess using a Ru(II) catalyst. The aryl substrates were most compatible with the methodology and this process facilitated a total synthesis of enantiomerically pure (+)-yashabushitriol.     

Synthesis of novel chiral tetraaza ligands and their application in enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones

Novel chiral tetraaza ligands(R)-N,N′-bis[2-(piperidin-1-yl)benzylidene]propane-l,2-diamine 6 and(S)-N-[2-(piperidin-l- yl)benzylidene]-3-{[2-(piperidin-1-yl)benzylidene]amino}-alanine sodium salt 7 have been synthesized and fully characterized by NMR,IR,MS and CD spectra.The catalytic property of the ligands was investigated in Ir-catalyzed enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones.The corresponding optical active alcohols were obtained with high yields and moderate ees under mild reaction conditions.     

Synthesis,characterization, and transfer hydrogenation of Ru(II)-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

A new series of ruthenium(II) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [RuL^1,2,3(p-cymene)Cl₂] (3a–c) (where L is a N-heterocyclic carbene), have been synthesized via transmetalation. The new ruthenium(II)-NHC complexes were applied to transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone derivatives and aldehydes using 2-propanol as a hydrogen source and KOH as a co-catalyst. The results show that the corresponding alcohols could be obtained in good yield with high catalyst activity (up to 100%) under mild conditions. [RuL¹(p-cymene)Cl₂] (3a) is much more active than the other complexes in transfer hydrogenation. Reactions, catalyzed by 3a–c, showed the highest reaction rates and yields of alcohol when the substrates bear more electron-withdrawing substituents. All new compounds were characterized by IR, elemental analysis, LC–MS (ESI), and NMR spectroscopy.     

Ir-catalysed asymmetric hydrogenation: Ligands, substrates and mechanism

Relatively air and moisture tolerant cationic iridium complexes, with chiral non-racemic N,P-ligands and weakly coordinating counter ions, are efficient catalysts in the asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins. Unfunctionalised olefins are particularly difficult substrates because, in general, a polar group adjacent to the alkene bond is required for high catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. The applicability towards a variety of substrates and choice of ligands reported thus far in the literature, as well as the mechanism, selectivity issues and the importance of the anion are also discussed.