Catalysis Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction

As shown in Figure 1.26, a chiral Sm(III) complex catalyzes asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketones in 2-propanol with high enantioselectivity. Unlike other late-transition-metal catalysis, the hydrogen at C2 of 2-propanol directly migrates onto the carbonyl carbon of substrate via a six-membered transition state 26A, as seen in the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction. ... 

Zeolites are not typically used in Lewis acid type catalysis due to the absence of Lewis acid centers in zeolites. This is due to the coordination of the Al-site to four lattice-oxygens in a perfect zeolite framework. It has, however, been shown for zeolite Beta that the aluminum atom can reversibly move between a framework Brpnsted acid site and a framework-grafted Lewis-acid site.70 Accordingly, Creyghton et al. showed that zeolite Beta is active in the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction (MPV) of ketones (scheme 4).71 In this reaction a hydrogen hydride transfer reaction between an alcohol and a ketone takes place. 

Assaiy, R.S., Curtiss, L.A., Dumesic, J.A., 2013. Exploring Meerwein — Ponndorf — Verley reduction chemistry for biomass catalysis using a first-principles approach. ACS Catalysis 3, 2694-2704. 

Luo, H.Y., Consoli, D.F., Gunther, W.R., Roman-Leshkov, Y., 2014. Investigation of the reaction kinetics of isolated Lewis add sites in Beta zeolites for the Meerwein — Ponndorf — Verley reduction of methyl levulinate to Y-valerolactone. Journal of Catalysis 320, 198-207. 

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