Ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones with aminophosphine or bis(phosphino)amine ligands derived from isopropyl substituted anilines

A series of new highly active Ru(II) complexes with two new (N-diphenylphosphino)isopropylanilines, having an isopropyl substituent at carbon 2- (1) or 2,6- (2) and two new bis(diphenylphosphino)isopropylanilines, having an isopropyl substituent at carbon atom 2- (3) or 4- (4), were prepared starting from the dimeric complex [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(μ-Cl)Cl]2. All the compounds have been fully characterized by microanalysis, IR, 31P{1H} NMR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopies. Following activation by NaOH, complexes 5–8 were tested in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone derivatives with iso-PrOH as the hydrogen source. Catalytic studies showed that the complexes are excellent catalytic precursors for the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone derivatives.

Graphical abstractA series of new highly active Ru(II) complexes with two new (N-diphenylphosphino)isopropylanilines, having an isopropyl substituent at carbon 2- (1) or 2,6- (2) and two new bis(diphenylphosphino)isopropylanilines, having an isopropyl substituent at carbon atom 2- (3) or 4- (4), were prepared starting from the dimeric complex [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(μ-Cl)Cl]2, and these complexes were also evaluated in the ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone derivatives.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide