Insights into dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols and amines catalyzed by a (PNN)-Ru(II) hydride complex: unusual metal-ligand cooperation

Density functional theory calculations were performed to elucidate the mechanism of dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols and amines mediated by a PNN-Ru(II) hydride complex (PNN = (2-(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)-6-(diethylaminomethyl)pyridine)). A plausible reaction pathway was proposed which contains three stages: (1) The alcohol dehydrogenation reaction to generate the aldehyde and H(2); (2) The aldehyde-amine condensation reaction to form the hemiaminal intermediate; (3) The dehydrogenation process of the hemiaminal intermediate to yield the final amide product with the liberation of H(2). The first and third stages occur via a similar pathway: (a) Proton transfer from the substrate to the PNN ligand; (b) Intramolecular rearrangement of the deprotonated substrate to form an anagostic complex; (c) Hydride transfer from the deprotonated substrate to the Ru center to yield the trans-dihydride intermediate and the aldehyde (or amide); (d) Benzylic proton migration from the PNN ligand to the metal center forming a dihydrogen complex and subsequent H(2) liberation to regenerate the catalyst. In all these steps, the metal-ligand cooperation plays an essential role. In proton transfer steps (a) and (d), the metal-ligand cooperation is achieved through the aromatization/dearomatization processes of the PNN ligand. While in steps (b) and (c), their collaboration are demonstrated by the formation of an anagostic interaction between Ru and the C-H bond and two ionic hydrogen bonds supported by the PNN ligand.