Cyclometalated Dicarbonyl Ruthenium Catalysts for Transfer Hydrogenation and Hydrogenation of Carbonyl Compounds

Abstract

The dicarbonyl complex RuCl2(L)2(CO)2 (1) was easily prepared by reaction of ruthenium chloride hydrate with formic acid and L (L = (2,6-Me2C6H3)PPh2) in ethanol at reflux, via the [RuCl2(CO)2]n intermediate. Alternatively, 1 was obtained from [RuCl2(CO)3]2 and L by CO elimination. Reaction of 1 with NEt3 in toluene at reflux afforded the cyclometalated derivative RuCl{(2-CH2-6-MeC6H3)PPh2}(L)(CO)2 (2). A simple one-pot synthesis of 2 was achieved by treatment of RuCl3 hydrate with formic acid, L, and NEt3. The cyclometalated dicarbonyl complexes [Ru{(2-CH2-6-MeC6H3)PPh2}(NN)(CO)2]Cl (NN = ethylenediamine, 3; 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine, 4; (R,R)-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diamine, 5) were isolated by reaction of 2 with the corresponding dinitrogen ligand in methanol at reflux. Complexes 1–4 catalyze the transfer hydrogenation (TH) of acetophenone in 2-propanol at reflux (S/C = 1000 and TOF up to 30 000 h–1) with alkali base (1–5 mol %), whereas 5 leads to (S)-1-phenylethanol with 68% ee. The derivatives 1–5 cata...