Kinetic isotope effect evidence for a concerted hydrogen transfer mechanism in transfer hydrogenations catalyzed by [p-(Me2CH)C6H4Me]Ru- (NHCHPhCHPhNSO2C6H4-p-CH3)

The isotope effects in the reaction of [p-(Me2CH)C6H4Me]Ru(NHCHPhCHPhNSO2C6H4-p-CH3) (1) with isopropyl alcohol were 1.79 for transfer of hydrogen from OH to N and 2.86 for transfer from CH to Ru. The isotope effect for transfer of deuterium from doubly labeled material (kCHOH/kCDOD = 4.88) was within experimental error of the product of the two individual isotope effects. These isotope effects provide convincing evidence for a mechanism involving concurrent transfer of hydrogen from oxygen to nitrogen and from carbon to ruthenium.