Methanol as hydrogen source: transfer hydrogenation of aromatic aldehydes with a rhodacycle

A cyclometalated rhodium complex has been shown to perform highly selective and efficient reduction of aldehydes, deriving the hydrogen from methanol. With methanol as both the solvent and hydrogen donor under mild conditions and an open atmosphere, a wide range of aromatic aldehydes were reduced to the corresponding alcohols, without affecting other functional groups

N,O- vs N,C-Chelation in Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes: A Dramatic Effect on Enantioselectivity in Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones

Cyclometalation of [Cp*IrCl₂]₂ with methyl (S)-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazole-4-carboxylate in the presence of NaOAc selectively led to a N,C- or N,O-chelated Cp*Ir­(III) complex, depending on whether or not water was present in the reaction. While derived from the same precursor, these two complexes behaved in a dramatically different manner in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of ketones by formic acid, with the N,O-chelated complex being much more selective and active. The sense of asymmetric induction is also different, with the N,O-complex affording S while the N,C-analogue R alcohols. Further study revealed that the nature of the base additive considerably impacts the enantioselectivity and the effective HCOOH/amine ratios. These observations show the importance of ligand coordination mode and using the right base for ATH reactions

Iridium complexes with a new type of N^N0-donor anionic ligand catalyze the N-benzylation of amines via borrowing hydrogen

The development of efficient and eco‐friendly methods for the synthesis of elaborate amines is highly desired as they are valuable chemicals. The catalytic alkylation of amines using alcohols as alkylating agents, through the so‐called borrowing hydrogen process, satisfies several of the principles of green chemistry. In this paper, four neutral half‐sandwich complexes of Ru(II), Rh(III), and Ir(III) have been synthesized and tested as catalysts in the N‐benzylation of amines with benzyl alcohol. The new derivatives contain a N^N′ anionic ligand derived from 5‐(pyridin‐2‐ylmethylene)hydantoin (Hpyhy) that has never been tested in metal complexes with catalytic applications. In particular, the Ir derivatives, [(Cp*)IrX(pyhy)] (X = Cl or H), exhibit high activity along with good selectivity in the process. Indeed, the scope of the optimized protocol has been proved in the benzylation of several primary and secondary amines. The selectivity towards monoalkylated or dialkylated amines has been tuned by adjusting the amine:alcohol ratio and the reaction time. Experimental results support a mechanism consisting of three consecutive steps, two of which are Ir catalyzed, and a favorable condensation step without the assistance of the catalyst. Moreover, an unproductive competitive pathway can operate when the reaction is performed in open‐air vessels, due to the irreversible release of H2. This route is hampered when the reaction is carried out in close vessels, likely because the release of H2 is reversed through metal‐based heterolytic cleavage. From our viewpoint, these results show the potential of the new catalysts in a very attractive and promising methodology for the synthesis of amines