Catalytic Hydrogenation of Acetophenone with Hydrogen Transfer over Chiral Diamine Rhodium(I) Complexes

The catalytic activity and stereoselectivity of Rh(I) complexes with C ₂-symmetric chiral diamines, (4S,5S)-3,4-isopropylidenedioxy-1,4-butanediamine and (4S,5S)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-3,4-isopropylidenedioxy-1,4-butanediamine skeletal analogs of 2,3-dihydroxy-2,3-O-isopropylidene-1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (DIOP)], were studied in hydrogen transfer from 2-propanol to acetophenone in the presence of KOH or t-BuOK. The product, (S)-(-)-2-phenylethanol, was thus obtained with an optical yield of 67%. Covalent chloride rhodium complexes with the above ligands give rise to the same stereoisomer, whereas the opposite stereoselectivity is observed under catalysis by cationic trifluoromethanesulfonate rhodium(I) complexes. X-Ray phase analysis showed formation of nanosize particles in the precipitate of metallic rhodium.