Quinoline ionic hydrogenation

The above catalytic systems for the asymmetric hydrogenation of quinolines are mainly iridium catalysts. In 2008, Fan and coworkers developed recyclable phos phine free chiral cationic ruthenium catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of qui nolines [23]. They found that the phosphine free cationic Ru/TsDPEN catalyst exhibited unprecedented reactivity and high enantioselectivity in the hydrogenation of quinolines in neat ionic liquid. The results were very excellent and enantioselec... 

Formation of hydroxyl quinoline must have been initiated by ionic reactions that involved and OH ions. Hydrogenation by Ha enables the heterocyclic ring to be saturated, and this can be followed by hydrogenolysis of C-N bonds that first open the hetero-ring and then convert the resultant aliphatic and aromatic amine intermediates to hydrocarbons and ammonia (24). Also direct attack of OH on quinoline may have led to formation of hydroxyl quinoline. It has been suggested that both ionic reaction and free radical capping are possible under supercritical conditions (25). 

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