Application of Iridium Catalysts in the Fine Chemicals Industry

Abstract

Traditionally, catalysis is associated with the production of bulk chemicals, whereas fi ne and specialty chemicals are produced predominantly with noncatalytic organic synthesis. While these statements are basically still correct, there is a growing list of examples demonstrating that catalytic processes are also an opportunity for the production of more complex agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals [1] . However, our experience shows, that only relatively few catalytic transformations are actually applied on a larger scale and it is probably not surprising that the most important catalytic applications in fi ne chemicals manufacture are in the area of chemoselective and enantioselective hydrogenation [2, 3] . Not surprisingly, this is also the case for the – until now – rather scarce industrial applications of Ir catalyzed reactions. For this reason, the enantioselective hydrogenation of C : N and of nonfunctionalized C : C bonds will be discussed in some detail, while miscellaneous catalytic transformations with industrial potential will be summarized only briefl y.