Alcohol Dehydrogenation with a Dual Site Ruthenium, Boron Catalyst Occurs at Ruthenium

Abstract

The complex [(κ3-(N,N,O-py2B(Me)OH)Ru(NCMe)3]+ TfO− (1) is a catalyst for transfer dehydrogenation of alcohols, which was designed to function through a cooperative transition state in which reactivity was split between boron and ruthenium. We show here both stoichiometric and catalytic evidence to support that in the case of alcohol oxidation, the mechanism most likely involves reactivity only at the ruthenium center.

Keywords

• bifunctional catalyst
• oxidation
• hydride abstraction
• mechanism