Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of iminophosphine-based ruthenium(II) complexes and application in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reaction as catalysts

Abstract

A range of Ru(II) complexes have been prepared with chiral iminophosphine ligands ([(2-PPh2)C6H4CH=NCH(CH3)C6H5(4-R)]; R = –H, p-CH3, p-NO2) and characterized by 1H, 13C, 31P{1H} NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties of the [Ru(PN)2Cl2] complexes were investigated in ACN/TBAP solution with cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry techniques. The use of chiral [Ru(PN)2Cl2] complexes as catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic and aliphatic ketones was studied in 2-propanol in an attempt to demonstrate the effect of substituents, which attached to the phenyl ring bonded to the nitrogen donor, on the catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. It was seen that the electronic effects of these substituents did not contribute to the catalytic efficiency of the ruthenium(II) catalysts.