Ruthenium-catalyzed reductive coupling between ketones and primary alcohols in the presence of ethylenediamine

Ketones are reductively coupled with an array of primary alcohols in dioxane at 80 °C in the presence of a catalytic amount of a ruthenium catalyst along with KOH and ethylenediamine to give the corresponding carbon–carbon coupled secondary alcohols in moderate to good yields.

Graphical abstractAn atom economical ruthenium-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling between ketones and primary alcohols in the presence of ethylenediamine and KOH is described. Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide