Developing asymmetric iron and ruthenium-based cyclone complexes : complex factors influence the asymmetric induction in the transfer hydrogenation of ketones

The preparation of a range of asymmetric iron and ruthenium-cyclone complexes, and their application to the asymmetric reduction of a ketone, are described. The enantioselectivity of ketone reduction is influenced by a single chiral centre in the catalyst, as well as by the planar chirality in the catalyst. This represents the first example of asymmetric ketone reduction using an iron cyclone catalyst

(Cyclopentadienone)iron shvo complexes : synthesis and applications to hydrogen transfer reactions

A series of (cyclopendienone)iron tricarbonyl complexes were prepared using an intramolecular cyclization strategy. These were applied to the catalysis of the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones. When paraformaldehyde was used as the hydrogen acceptor, formate esters were obtained as coproducts and, in several cases, the major products

General and selective iron-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes without base

The first well-defined iron-based catalyst system for the reduction of nitroarenes to anilines has been developed applying formic acid as reducing agent. A broad range of substrates including other reducible functional groups were converted to the corresponding anilines in good to excellent yields at mild conditions. Notably, the process constitutes a rare example of base-free transfer hydrogenations