Half-sandwich rhodium complexes with phenylene-based SCS ligands: Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activities for transfer hydrogenation of ketones

Abstract

A series of half-sandwich rhodium complexes with tridentate phenylene-based bis(thione) (SCS) ligand have been synthesized and characterized. Both half-sandwich rhodium complexes and phenylene-based bis(thione) compounds were fully characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectra, mass spectrometry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The catalytic activities of half-sandwich rhodium complexes toward the transfer hydrogenation of ketones to their corresponding alcohols were explored using 2-propanol as hydrogen source and solvent. And the half-sandwich rhodium complexes exhibited high catalytic activity for transfer hydrogenation of ketones with a broad functional group tolerance.