Ruthenium catalysis asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

Jessop and co-workers have pointed out that homogeneous catalysis in supercritical fluids can offer high rates, improved selectivity, and elimination of mass-transfer problems.169 They have used a ruthenium phosphine catalyst to reduce supercritical carbon dioxide to formic acid using hydrogen.170 The reaction might be used to recycle waste carbon dioxide from combustion. It also avoids the use of poisonous carbon monoxide to make formic acid and its derivatives. There is no need for the usual solvent for such a reaction, because the excess carbon dioxide is the solvent. If the reaction is run in the presence of dimethy-lamine, dimethylformamide is obtained with 100% selectivity at 92-94% conversion.171 In this example, the ruthenium phosphine catalyst was supported on silica. Asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation of dehydroaminoacid derivatives (8.16) can be performed in carbon dioxide using ruthenium chiral phosphine catalysts.172... 

In addition to transfer hydrogenation reactions, arene ruthenium complexes also display excellent activity in the catalytic hydrogenation of olefins and alkynes including asymmetric reduction [40]. Remarkably, this process occurs under milder conditions, than required for catalysis with the dissociation of arene-metal bond. Lately, arene iridium complexes have also been found to be effective hydrogenation catalysts [41 ]. It is noteworthy that iridium can also promotes addition to the carbon-nitrogen double bond. 

Kejrwords Dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DYKAT) Dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) Hydrogenation Imine reduction Ketone reduction Mechanism of carbonyl reduction Mechanism of imine reduction Mechanism of dUiydrogen activation Ruthenium catalysis Shvo s catalyst Transfer hydrogenation... 

Another example of the application of DFT-based calculations comes from ruthenium catalyst-based asymmetric hydrogenations of ketones. As shown in Figure 3.5, the rra 5-dihydride complex 339 with chiral BINAP as the ligand is the resting state of the catalyst. Catalysis with 339 is proposed to occur by the transfer of a hydride from the ruthenium and a proton from the amine to the carbonyl group of the substrate, e.g., acetophenone. 

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