Ruthenium catalytic hydrogenation

The review proper begins with an assessment of the current status of reaction mechanisms and then recent synthetic advances in both rhodium and ruthenium catalytic hydrogenation. In view of the vast literature generated it has been necessary to be selective, particularly in synthesis where advances in ligand design can render even recent work on similar substrates obsolete. Reference to reviews should alleviate the ensuing deficiencies. 

Catalytic hydrogenation is mostly used to convert C—C triple bonds into C C double bonds and alkenes into alkanes or to replace allylic or benzylic hetero atoms by hydrogen (H. Kropf, 1980). Simple theory postulates cis- or syn-addition of hydrogen to the C—C triple or double bond with heterogeneous (R. L. Augustine, 1965, 1968, 1976 P. N. Rylander, 1979) and homogeneous (A. J. Birch, 1976) catalysts. Sulfur functions can be removed with reducing metals, e. g. with Raney nickel (G. R. Pettit, 1962 A). Heteroaromatic systems may be reduced with the aid of ruthenium on carbon. 

Catalytic hydrogenation of tnfluoroacetic acid gives tnfluoroethanol in high yield [73], but higherperfluorocarboxybc acids and their anhydndes are reduced much more slowly over rhodium, iridium, platinum, or ruthenium catalysts [7J 74] (equation 61) Homogeneous catalysis efficiently produces tnfluoroethanol from tnfluoroacetate esters [75] (equation 61)... 

The amount of coupled product was found to depend importantly on the catalytic metal a sequence for increased coupling to dicyclohexylamine was found to be Ru < Rh Pd Pt (59), a sequence that reflects one reason for the industrial preference for rhodium and ruthenium in hydrogenation of anilines. 

Epimerization of 50 at C-3 furnished carba-a-DL-allopyranose (60). Stepwise, 0-isopropylidenation of 50 with 2,2-dimethoxypropane afforded compound 56. Ruthenium tetraoxide oxidation of 56 gave the 3-oxo derivative 57, and catalytic hydrogenation over Raney nickel converted 57 into the 3-epimer 58 exclusively. Hydrolysis of 58, and acetylation, provided the pentaacetate 59, which was converted into 60 on hydrolysis. ... 

The most widely used method for adding the elements of hydrogen to carbon-carbon double bonds is catalytic hydrogenation. Except for very sterically hindered alkenes, this reaction usually proceeds rapidly and cleanly. The most common catalysts are various forms of transition metals, particularly platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, and nickel. Both the metals as finely dispersed solids or adsorbed on inert supports such as carbon or alumina (heterogeneous catalysts) and certain soluble complexes of these metals (homogeneous catalysts) exhibit catalytic activity. Depending upon conditions and catalyst, other functional groups are also subject to reduction under these conditions. 

In a somewhat different approach, supported-aqueous-phase-catalysts (SAPC, see Chapter 5, Section 5.2.5 of this book) have been combined with supercritical CO2 in catalytic hydrogenation [55], Ruthenium was supported on silica and combined with the ligand TPPTS in water, after which a scC02/H2 phase was applied together with the substrate. Better levels of conversion were obtained using scC02 than the equivalent system with toluene for the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde. 

In future, it will be interesting to identify a catalytic hydrogenation process that justifies the use of osmium over ruthenium, though one possibility might be a high temperature application such as that required in the hydrogenation of unsaturated rubbers. 

The catalytic hydrogenation of various benzene derivatives by the ruthenium tetrahydride clusters [Ru4H4 (// ,-Q,H 6)4]2+ was investigated by Siiss-Fink in both... 

There is only one detailed kinetic study of ruthenium enantioselective hydrogenation, in this case involving (BINAP)Ru(OAc)2, and MAC [65]. The extensive study involved reaction kinetics, isotopic analysis of reaction components and products, and in-situ NMR. The derived catalytic cycle is shown in Figure 31.15, differing from the Bergens studies described above in that the intermediates -both observed and assumed - are neutral rather than cationic. Right up to the formation of the alkylruthenium intermediate, the individual steps are revers-... 

Other amino alcohols have also been used as chiral ligands in asymmetric catalytic hydrogen transfer. Scheme 6-54 depicts another example. Ruthenium complex bearing 2-azanorbornyl methanol was used as the chiral ligand, and the corresponding secondary alcohols were obtained in excellent ee.116... 

Enantioselective catalytic hydrogenation. The ruthenium(II) complexes of (R)- and (S)-l, bearing a chiral BINAP ligand, catalyze asymmetric hydrogenation of N-acyl-l-alkylidenetetrahydroisoquinolines to give (1R)- or (lS)-tetrahydroiso-quinolines in 95-100% ee.1 Thus the (Z)-enamide (2), prepared by acylation of 3,4-dihydropapaverine, is hydrogenated in the presence of (R)-l to (1R)-tetrahydroisoquinolines (3). The enantiomeric (lS)-3 is obtained on use of (S)-l as catalyst. 

Although all of the above elements catalyze hydrogenation, only platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium and nickel are currently used. In addition some other elements and compounds were found useful for catalytic hydrogenation copper (to a very limited extent), oxides of copper and zinc combined with chromium oxide, rhenium heptoxide, heptasulfide and heptaselen-ide, and sulfides of cobalt, molybdenum and tungsten. 

Ketals of acetone and cyclohexanone with methyl, butyl, isopropyl and cyclohexyl alcohols are hydrogenolyzed to ethers and alcohols by catalytic hydrogenation. While platinum and ruthenium are inactive and palladium only partly active, 5% rhodium on alumina proves to be the best catalyst which, in the presence of a mineral acid, converts the ketals to ethers and alcohols in yields of 70-100% [933]. 

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