Ir(I) complexes with oxazoline-thioether ligands: nucleophilic attack of pyridine on coordinated 1,5-cyclooctadiene and application as catalysts in imine hydrogenation

Oxazoline-thioether ligands 6-11 react with [Ir(η⁴-COD)Py₂]PF₆ (COD=C₈H₁₂=1,5-cyclooctadiene) to give [Ir(σ-η²-C₈H₁₂Py⁺)L] PF₆ (L=oxazoline-thioether ligand) (12a-d) complexes resulted from the coordination of ligand to the metal and subsequent nucleophilic attack of pyridine to one of the double carbon bond of COD with concomitant iridium-carbon bond formation. When [Ir(η⁴-COD)₂]BF₄ was used as starting material, the reaction with ligands 7, 9 afforded the complexes [Ir(η⁴-COD)L]BF₄. Application of these iridium complexes to the reduction of N-(α-methyl)benzylidenbenzylamine gave low or negligible enantioselectivity.