Catalytic activities of new arsine-dihydrido ruthenium(II) complexes in the homogeneous hydrogenation of aldehyde

Abstract

A series of new arsine-dihydrido ruthenium(II) complexes, [RuH 2(CO)(AsPh 3) 3] ( 1) and [RuH 2(CO)(AsPh 3)(L-L)], [L-L = diars ( 2), arphos ( 3), diphos ( 4)], has been synthesized and characterized by IR, 1H NMR and elemental analysis. The catalytic activities of these complexes for the hydrogenation of propionaldehyde to yield propan-l-ol have been examined at 130°C and 30 atm hydrogen pressure, and compared with the catalytic activity of the well-known complex, [RuH 2(CO)(PPh 3) 3] ( 5). [RuH 2(CO)(AsPh 3) 3] showed lower catalytic activity than that of [RuH 2(CO)(PPh 3) 3]. Complexes having a chelate ring have shown higher catalytic activities than that of [RuH 2(CO)(AsPh 3) 3]. Overall, the catalytic activities were found to decrease in the order 4 > 3 > 2 > 5 > 1.