Ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogenation of aromatic ketones using chiral diamine and monodentate achiral phosphine ligands

Abstract

The Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones with chiral diamine and monodentate achiral phosphine has been developed. A wide range of ketones were hydrogenated to afford the corresponding chiral secondary alcohols in good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98.1% ee). In addition, an appropriate mechanism for the asymmetric hydrogenation was proposed and verified by NMR spectroscopy.

Keywords

• Chiral diamines
• Achiral phosphine
• Ruthenium
• Enantioselectivity
• Ketones