Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ferrocenyl ketones: a new simple route to chiral ferrocenyl alcohols

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of ferrocenyl ketones, such as FcC(O)CH₂Y [Fc = ferrocenyl, Y = H (1a), CH₃ (1b), Cl (1c) or N₃ (1d)] has been carried out using the Noyori/Ikariya catalysts [(−)-(1R,2S)-ephedrine] or N-tosyl-(1R,2R)-diphenylethylenediamine [(R,R)-TsDPEN] as chiral ligands combined with [RuCl₂(η⁶-benzene)]₂ and 2-PrOH or HCO₂H–Et₃N as the hydrogen sources, respectively. The best results were achieved with the [(R,R)-TsDPEN–Ru^IIHCO₂H–Et₃N] catalytic system, which produced the ferrocenylalcohols (R)-2a, (R)-2c, and (R)-2d in good yields and excellent enantiomeric excesses (>98% ee).