Ethanol as Hydrogen Donor: Highly Efficient Transfer Hydrogenations with Rhodium(I) Amides

Abstract

Catalysts take to the bottle: Rhodium amides with a saw-horse structure serve as very efficient catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones and activated olefins using ethanol as hydrogen donor. Under mild conditions, the corresponding alcohols and ethyl acetate are formed with high efficiency, with a turnover frequency above 500 000 h−1.