A Highly Active Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of Amides to Alcohols and Amines

Abstract

Amide-zing: The reaction between 2 equivalents of Ph2P(CH2)2NH2 and cis-[Ru(CH3CN)2(η3-C3H5)(cod)]BF4 (cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene) forms a highly active catalyst precursor for the selective hydrogenation of amides. The reaction proceeds with excellent atom economy, yield, and turnover numbers (TONs) under moderate reaction conditions. The technology offers a greener, practical approach to the use of metal hydride reagents commonly employed in both academia and industry. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.