Notes on selectivity aspects in sorbic acid and sorbic alcohol hydrogenation

Sorbic acid and sorbic alcohol hydrogenations to the cis-hex-3-enoic acid or cis-hex-3-en-1-ol were carried out at the same conditions in three different systems—homogeneous, two-phase and heterogeneous. The complex Cp*Ru(sorbic acid)]CF₃SO₃ was used as a catalyst. Selectivity and reactivity of both the compounds varied significantly. Using sorbic acid as a hydrogenation substrate by-products were the other izomers of hexenoic acid and hexanoic acid, with sorbic alcohol as a hydrogenation substrate by-products were aldehydes and hemiacetals.