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The preparation and characterization of the first isolable cationic mononuclear complexes bearing a η2-cyclobutadienoid ligand or a carbene ligand lacking heteroatom stabilization are described. The reaction between 1-bromo-benzocyclobutene and Na[η5-C5H5(CO)2Fe] (NaFp) afforded η1-1-benzocyclobutenyl-η5-cyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron (III). Treatment of III with trityl hexafluorophosphate gave benzocyclobutenylidene-η5-cyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron hexafluorophosphate (V). Naphtho [b] cyclobutenylidene-η5-cyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron hexafluorophosphate (VI) was formed in an analogous manner. Both V and VI gave 1,1-disubstituted cyclobutenes when treated with nucleophilic reagents. η2-Benzocyclobutadiene-η5-cyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron hexafluorophosphate, (XIX), which was prepared by the oxidation of bis-1,2-(η5-cyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron)benzocyclobutene by trityl hexafluorophosphate, afforded trans-1,2-disubstituted benzocyclobutenes when treated with nucleophilic reagents. The η2-benzocyclobutadiene ligand of XIX was displaced by I- and trapped as the Diels--Alder adduct by 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran.

The mechanistic details of aerobic alcohol oxidation with catalytic Pd(I/Pr)(OAc)2(H2O) (I/Pr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) imidazol-2-ylidene) are disclosed. Under optimal conditions, β-hydride elimination is rate-limiting supported by kinetic studies including a high primary kinetic isotope effect (KIE) value of 5.5 ± 0.1 and a Hammett p value of -0.48 ± 0.04. On the basis of these studies, a late transition state is proposed for β-hydride elimination, which is further corroborated by theoretical calculations using density functional theory. Additive acetic acid modulates the rates of both the alcohol oxidation sequence and regeneration of the Pd catalyst. With no additive [HOAc], turnover-limiting reprotonation of intermediate palladium peroxo is kinetically competitive with β-hydride elimination, allowing for reversible oxygenation and decomposition of Pd(O). With additive [HOAc] (>2 mol %), reprotonation of the palladium peroxo is fast and β-hydride elimination is the single rate-controlling step. This proposal is supported by an apparent decomposition pathway modulated by [HOAc], a change in alcohol concentration dependence, a lack of [O2] dependence at high [HOAc], and significant changes in the KIE values at different HOAc concentrations.

PhthalimideN-oxyl (PINO) is a potent hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalyst that can be generated electrochemically fromN-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI). However, catalyst decomposition has limited its application. This paper details mechanistic studies of the

Herein, we report a protocol for cyclization/hydroboration of 1,6-diynes with pinacolborane using a cobalt catalyst generated in situ from a Co(II)-phenanthroline complex, tetrabutylammonium fluoride, and pinacolborane. This protocol, which features good

Renewable adipic acid is a value-added chemical for the production of bioderived nylon. Here, the one-step conversion of mucic acid to adipates was achieved in high yield through deoxydehydration (DODH) and catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) by a bifunctional Pt-ReOx/C heterogeneous catalyst with isopropanol as solvent and reductant. The Pt-ReOx/C catalyst is reusable and was regenerated at least five times. The catalyst exhibits a broad substrate scope of various diols. Spectroscopic studies of Pt-ReOx/C revealed ReVII and Pt0 as the relevant species for DODH and CTH, respectively. Isotope labeling experiments support a monohydride mechanism for CTH over Pt. This work demonstrates a reusable bifunctional catalyst for a one-step valorization of sugar acids to a practical monomer, which opens the door to multifunctional catalysis streamlining valorization of biomass-derived molecules.

A generalized, simple and efficient transfer hydrogenation of unsaturated bonds has been developed using HBPin and various proton reagents as hydrogen sources. The substrates, including alkenes, alkynes, aromatic heterocycles, aldehydes, ketones, imines, azo, nitro, epoxy and nitrile compounds, are all applied to this catalytic system. Various groups, which cannot survive under the Pd/C/H2 combination, are tolerated. The activity of the reactants was studied and the trends are as follows: styrene'diphenylmethanimine'benzaldehyde'azobenzene'nitrobenzene'quinoline'acetophenone'benzonitrile. Substrates bearing two or more different unsaturated bonds were also investigated and transfer hydrogenation occurred with excellent chemoselectivity. Nano-palladium catalyst in situ generated from Pd(OAc)2 and HBPin extremely improved the TH efficiency. Furthermore, chemoselective anti-Markovnikov hydrodeuteration of terminal aromatic olefins was achieved using D2O and HBPin via in situ HD generation and discrimination. (Figure presented.).

A gold-catalyzed, Friedel–Crafts-like benzylation of unactivated benzylic alcohols to form 1,1-diarylalkanes has been developed. The operationally convenient method uses only 1.3 equivalents of the electron-rich arene, employs readily available starting m

Utilization of hydroxy-substituted bipyridine ligands in transition metal catalysis mimicking [Fe]-hydrogenase has been shown to be a promising approach in developing new catalysts for hydrogenation. For example, MnI complexes with 6,6′-dihydroxy-2,2′-bipyridine ligand have been previously shown to be active catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation. In this work, simple bipyridine-based Mn catalysts were developed that act as active catalysts for transfer hydrogenation of ketones, aldehydes and imines. For the first time, Mn-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of N-heterocycles was reported. The highest catalytic activity among complexes with variously substituted ligands was observed for the complex bearing two OH groups in bipyridine. Deuterium labeling experiments suggest a monohydride pathway.

A practical method for the synthesis of α-chiral amines by alkylation of amines with alcohols in the absence of any transition-metal catalysts has been developed. Under the co-catalysis of a ketone and NaOH, racemic secondary alcohols reacted with Ellman's chiral tert-butanesulfinamide by a hydrogen autotransfer process to afford chiral amines with high diastereoselectivities (up to >99:1). Broad substrate scope and up to a 10 gram scale production of chiral amines were demonstrated. The method was applied to the synthesis of chiral deuterium-labelled amines with high deuterium incorporation and optical purity, including examples of chiral deuterated drugs. The configuration of amine products is found to be determined solely by the configuration of the chiral tert-butanesulfinamide regardless of that of alcohols, and this is corroborated by DFT calculations. Further mechanistic studies showed that the reaction is initiated by the ketone catalyst and involves a transition state similar to that proposed for the Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) reduction, and importantly, it is the interaction of the sodium cation of the base with both the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the sulfinamide moiety that makes feasible, and determines the diastereoselectivity of, the reaction.

A highly efficient and chemoselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones in water has been successfully achieved with our newly developed catalyst. Simple ketones, as well as α- or β-functionalized ketones, are readily reduced. Formic acid is used as a traceless hydride source. At very low catalyst loading (S/C = 10:000 in most cases; S/C = 50:000 or 100:000 in some cases), the iridium catalyst is impressively efficient at reducing ketones in good to excellent yields. The TOF value can be as high as up to 26:000 mol mol-1 h-1. A variety of functional groups are well tolerated, for example, heteroaryl, aryloxy, alkyloxy, halogen, cyano, nitro, ester, especially acidic methylene, phenol and carboxylic acid groups.

Bifunctional complexes bearing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands functionalized with hydroxy or amine groups were synthesized to measure the beneficial effect of different modes of metal-ligand cooperation in the acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols. In comparison to complexes with an amine moiety, hydroxy-functionalized iridium catalysts showed superior activity. In contrast to alcohols, 1,4-diols underwent cyclization to give the corresponding tetrahydrofurans without involving dehydrogenation processes. Mechanistic investigations to rationalize the "OH effect" in these types of complexes have been undertaken.

Transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones catalyzed by eight cyclometallated ruthenium half-sandwich complexes, including three new complexes, was examined. The catalytic process was studied using different ratios of substrate to base and base to catalyst and using a deuterated reductant. Optimum conditions for catalysis were shown to be in the presence of higher amounts of base in refluxing isopropanol. Under these conditions, the complexes were reduced in situ to give Ru(0) nanoparticles invisible to the naked eye. The nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, DLS and XPS. The catalytic transfer hydrogenation, under conditions in which nanoparticles were generated, was found to be far greater than the transfer hydrogenation by the molecular catalyst. Complete characterization of the three new complexes, including the X-ray crystallographic characterization of these complexes was carried out.

Kinetic studies, isotope labeling, and in situ high-resolution mass spectrometry are used to elucidate the mechanism for the catalytic oxidation of styrenes using aqueous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the cationic palladium(II) compound, [(PBO)Pd(NCMe)2][OTf]2 (PBO = 2-(pyridin-2-yl)benzoxazole). Previous studies have shown that this reaction yields acetophenones with high selectivity. We find that H2O2 binds to Pd(II) followed by styrene binding to generate a Pd-alkylperoxide that liberates acetophenone by at least two competitive processes, one of which involves a palladium enolate intermediate that has not been previously observed in olefin oxidation reactions. We suggest that acetophenone is formed from the palladium enolate intermediate by protonation from H2O2. We replaced hydrogen peroxide with t-butyl hydroperoxide and found that, although the palladium enolate intermediate was observed, it was not on the major product-generating pathway, indicating that the form of the oxidant plays a key role in the reaction mechanism.

H2O is routinely described as a proton donor, however, in the presence of diboron compounds, the umpolung reaction of H2O under metal-free conditions was successfully developed, which could afford hydride species, leading to a highly efficient and chemoselective reduction of CO bonds. This strategy exhibits excellent chemoselectivities toward carbonyl groups in the presence of ester, olefin, halogen, thioether, sulfonyl, cyano as well as heteroaromatic groups.

The acetophenone (1a) reduction using catalytically active nickel complexes and water is an efficient and sustainable method to access a new methodology of transfer hydrogenation of ketones. When triethylsilane (Et3SiH) was used as sacrificial agent to promote the transfer hydrogenation from water, 1-phenylethanol (2a) was obtained in excellent yield along with silanol (Et3SiOH) as the reaction's driving force. Deuterium labeling studies were made using Et3SiD or D2O and these studies showed that both compounds participate as hydride sources for the ketone reduction. A scope of substrates was assessed, including a variety of mono/diketones, and α,β-unsaturated ketones, to yield the corresponding secondary alcohols and saturated ketones. Additionally, asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of mono-ketones was studied for the mixture of nickel/(bisphosphine or phospholane) as catalyst precursor, using H2O/Et3SiO system and ethanol as hydrogen sources.

A set of iridium(I) and iridium(III) complexes is reported with triazolylidene ligands that contain pendant benzoxazole, thiazole, and methyl ether groups as potentially chelating donor sites. The bonding mode of these groups was identified by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray structure analysis. The complexes were evaluated as catalyst precursors in transfer hydrogenation and in acceptorless alcohol oxidation. High-valent iridium(III) complexes were identified as the most active precursors for the oxidative alcohol dehydrogenation, while a low-valent iridium(I) complex with a methyl ether functionality was most active in reductive transfer hydrogenation. This catalyst precursor is highly versatile and efficiently hydrogenates ketones, aldehydes, imines, allylic alcohols, and most notably also unpolarized olefins, a notoriously difficult substrate for transfer hydrogenation. Turnover frequencies up to 260 h-1 were recorded for olefin hydrogenation, whereas hydrogen transfer to ketones and aldehydes reached maximum turnover frequencies greater than 2000 h-1. Mechanistic investigations using a combination of isotope labeling experiments, kinetic isotope effect measurements, and Hammett parameter correlations indicate that the turnover-limiting step is hydride transfer from the metal to the substrate in transfer hydrogenation, while in alcohol dehydrogenation, the limiting step is substrate coordination to the metal center.

Chiral ruthenium half-sandwich complexes were prepared using a chelating diamine made from proline with a phenyl, ethyl, or benzyl group, instead of hydrogen on one of the coordinating arms. Three of these complexes were obtained as single diastereoisomers and their configuration identified by X-ray crystallography. The complexes are recyclable catalysts for the reduction of ketones to chiral alcohols in water. A ruthenium hydride species is identified as the active species by NMR spectroscopy and isotopic labelling experiments. Maximum enantio-selectivity was attained when a phenyl group was directly attached to the primary amine on the diamine ligand derived from proline. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

We herein report a transition-metal-free cross-coupling between secondary alkyl halides/mesylates and aryl/alkenylboronic acid, providing expedited access to a series of nonchiral/chiral coupling products in moderate to good yields. Stereospecific SN2-type coupling is developed for the first time with alkenylboronic acids as pure nucleophiles, offering an attractive alternative to the stereospecific transition-metal-catalyzed C(sp2)-C(sp3) cross-coupling.

The catalytic deuterodechlorination of aryl/heteroaryl chlorides was developed with a palladium/unsymmetrical NHC system, and the precisely controlled introduction of deuterium into a variety of aryl/heteroaryl compounds was achieved with a high level of efficiency, selectivity, and deuteration degree. This method was also successfully applied to the transformation of bioactive agents even in a gram-scale synthesis. The crystal structure analysis of Pd-NHC complexes led to the observation of Pd-arene interaction.

We report a new Fe(NO3)3·9H2O/9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-N-oxyl catalyst system that enables efficient aerobic oxidation of a broad range of primary and secondary alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones at room temperature with ambient air as the oxidant. The catalyst system exhibits excellent activity and selectivity for primary aliphatic alcohol oxidation. This procedure can also be scaled up. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that C-H bond cleavage is the rate-determining step and that cationic species are involved in the reaction.

Cooperative catalysis between CuII and redox-active organic cocatalysts is a key feature of important chemical and enzymatic aerobic oxidation reactions, such as alcohol oxidation mediated by Cu/TEMPO and galactose oxidase. Nearly 20 years ago, Markó and co-workers reported that azodicarboxylates, such as di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate (DBAD), are effective redox-active cocatalysts in Cu-catalyzed aerobic alcohol oxidation reactions [ Markó, I. E., et al. Science 1996, 274, 2044 ], but the nature of the cooperativity between Cu and azodicarboxylates is not well understood. Here, we report a mechanistic study of Cu/DBAD-catalyzed aerobic alcohol oxidation. In situ infrared spectroscopic studies reveal a burst of product formation prior to steady-state catalysis, and gas-uptake measurements show that no O2 is consumed during the burst. Kinetic studies reveal that the anaerobic burst and steady-state turnover have different rate laws. The steady-state rate does not depend on [O2] or [DBAD]. These results, together with other EPR and in situ IR spectroscopic and kinetic isotope effect studies, reveal that the steady-state mechanism consists of two interdependent catalytic cycles that operate in sequence: a fast CuII/DBAD pathway, in which DBAD serves as the oxidant, and a slow CuII-only pathway, in which CuII is the oxidant. This study provides significant insight into the redox cooperativity, or lack thereof, between Cu and redox-active organic cocatalysts in aerobic oxidation reactions.

A detailed mechanistic study of the catalytic hydrosilylation of ketones with the highly active and enantioselective iron(II) boxmi complexes as catalysts (up to >99% ee) was carried out to elucidate the pathways for precatalyst activation and the mechanism for the iron-catalyzed hydrosilylation. Carboxylate precatalysts were found to be activated by reduction of the carboxylate ligand to the corresponding alkoxide followed by entering the catalytic cycle for the iron-catalyzed hydrosilylation. An Eyring-type analysis of the temperature dependence of the enantiomeric ratio established a linear relationship of ln(S/R) and T-1, indicating a single selectivity-determining step over the whole temperature range from -40 to +65°C (ΔΔG?sel,? 233? K = 9 ± 1 kJ/mol). The rate law as well as activation parameters for the rate-determining step were derived and complemented by a Hammett analysis, radical clock experiments, kinetic isotope effect (KIE) measurements (kH/kD = 3.0 ± 0.2), the isolation of the catalytically active alkoxide intermediate, and DFT-modeling of the whole reaction sequence. The proposed reaction mechanism is characterized by a rate-determining σ-bond metathesis of an alkoxide complex with the silane, subsequent coordination of the ketone to the iron hydride complex, and insertion of the ketone into the Fe-H bond to regenerate the alkoxide complex.

An experimental study on the role played by each of the reagents involved in the selective reduction of aromatic ketones in aqueous medium is reported. In this reaction, the reduction of aromatic ketones is mediated by Cp 2TiCl. Moreover, the presence of Mn in the reaction medium is mandatory. To account for these findings, a substantially revised mechanism is proposed.

Cobalt(II) alkyl complexes of aliphatic PNP pincer ligands have been synthesized and characterized. The cationic cobalt(II) alkyl complex [(PNHP Cy)Co(CH2SiMe3)]BArF4 (4) (PNHPCy = bis[(2-dicyclohexylphosphino)ethyl]amine) is an active precatalyst for the hydrogenation of olefins and ketones and the acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols. To elucidate the possible involvement of the N-H group on the pincer ligand in the catalysis via a metal-ligand cooperative interaction, the reactivities of 4 and [(PNMePCy)Co(CH 2SiMe3)]BArF4 (7) were compared. Complex 7 was found to be an active precatalyst for the hydrogenation of olefins. In contrast, no catalytic activity was observed using 7 as a precatalyst for the hydrogenation of acetophenone under mild conditions. For the acceptorless dehydrogenation of 1-phenylethanol, complex 7 displayed similar activity to complex 4, affording acetophenone in high yield. When the acceptorless dehydrogenation of 1-phenylethanol with precatalyst 4 was monitored by NMR spectroscopy, the formation of the cobalt(III) acetylphenyl hydride complex [(PNHPCy)CoIII(κ2-O,C-C 6H4C(O)CH3)(H)]BArF4 (13) was detected. Isolated complex 13 was found to be an effective catalyst for the acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols, implicating 13 as a catalyst resting state during the alcohol dehydrogenation reaction. Complex 13 catalyzed the hydrogenation of styrene but showed no catalytic activity for the room temperature hydrogenation of acetophenone. These results support the involvement of metal-ligand cooperativity in the room temperature hydrogenation of ketones but not the hydrogenation of olefins or the acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols. Mechanisms consistent with these observations are presented for the cobalt-catalyzed hydrogenation of olefins and ketones and the acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols.

Amazing reaction medium: Supercritical carbon dioxide, with zero dipole moment, lower dielectric constant than pentane, and non-hydrogen-bonding behavior, ionizes carbon-halogen bonds, dissociates the resulting ion pairs, and escapes from capture by the carbocation intermediates at temperatures above 40 °C. These properties allow the observation of carbocation chemistry in the absence of acids.

Deuterated compounds have received increasing attention in both academia and industrial fields. However, preparations of these compounds are limited for both economic and practical reasons. Herein, convenient generation of deuterium gas (D2) and the preparation of deuterated compounds on a laboratory scale are demonstrated by using a half-sandwich iridium complex with 4,4'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine. The "umpolung" (i.e., reversal of polarity) of a hydrogen atom of water was achieved in consecutive reactions, that is, a cationic H+/D+ exchange reaction and anionic hydride or deuteride transfer, under mild conditions. Selective D2 evolution (purity up to 89%) was achieved by using HCO2H as an electron source and D2O as a deuterium source; a rhodium analogue provided HD gas (98%) under similar conditions. Furthermore, pressurized D 2 (98%) without CO gas was generated by using DCO2D in D2O in a glass autoclave. Transfer deuterogenation of ketones gave α-deuterated alcohols with almost quantitative yields and high deuterium content by using HCO2H in D2O. Mechanistic studies show that the H+/D+ exchange reaction in the iridium hydride complex was much faster than β-elimination and hydride (deuteride) transfer. Cheap D2 gas! Convenient generation of deuterium gas (D2) and preparation of deuterated compounds on a laboratory scale are demonstrated using a half-sandwich iridium complex with 4,4'-dihydroxy-2,2'- bipyridine (see scheme). The "umpolung" of a hydrogen atom of water was achieved in consecutive reactions (cationic H+/D+ exchange reaction and anionic hydride (deuteride) transfer) under mild conditions. Copyright

Second-order rate constants were determined for the oxidation of 27 alcohols (R1R2CHOH) by a carbocationic oxidizing agent, 9-phenylxanthylium ion, in acetontrile at 60°C. Alcohols include open-chain alkyl, cycloalkyl, and unsaturated alcohols. Kinetic isotope effects for the reaction of 1-phenylethanol were determined at three H/D positions of the alcohol (KIEα-D=3.9, KIEβ-D3=1.03, KIE OD=1.10). These KIE results are consistent with those we previously reported for the 2-propanol reaction, suggesting that these reactions follow a hydride-proton sequential transfer mechanism that involves a rate-limiting formation of the α-hydroxy carbocation intermediate. Structure-reactivity relationship for alcohol oxidations was deeply discussed on the basis of the observed structural effects on the formation of the carbocationic transition state (Cδ+-OH). Efficiencies of alcohol oxidations are largely dependent upon the alcohol structures. Steric hindrance effect and ring strain relief effect win over the electronic effect in determining the rates of the oxidations of open-chain alkyl and cycloalkyl alcohols. Unhindered secondary alkyl alcohols would be selectively oxidized in the presence of primary and hindered secondary alkyl alcohols. Strained C7-C11 cycloalkyl alcohols react faster than cyclohexyl alcohol, whereas the strained C5 and C12 alcohols react slower. Aromatic alcohols would be efficiently and selectively oxidized in the presence of aliphatic alcohols of comparable steric requirements. This structure-reactivity relationship for alcohol oxidations via hydride-transfer mechanism is hoped to provide a useful guidance for the selective oxidation of certain alcohol functional groups in organic synthesis. Copyright

The copper-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketones is an efficient method for the synthesis of chiral enantiopure secondary alcohols. Herein, we present a detailed computational study (DFT/B3LYP) of the copper(I)-catalyzed reaction. In particular, the two transition states involved in the catalytic cycle have been determined. The insertion of the ketone into the Cu-H bond was found to have a lower activation barrier than the reaction of the copper alkoxy intermediate with the silane, which regenerates Cu-H along with the silyl ether product. Our findings also reveal the importance of the copper hydride dimer in controlling the reactivity toward the ketone. The conclusions are supported by experimental mechanistic investigations including kinetic studies, kinetic isotope effect, and isotope labeling measurements.

Gas pressure influences the regioselectivity and enantioselectivity of aryl alkene hydroformylation as catalyzed by rhodium complexes of the BisDiazaphos ligand. Deuterioformylation of styrene at 80 °C results in extensive deuterium incorporation into the terminal position of the recovered styrene. This result establishes that rhodium hydride addition to form a branched alkyl rhodium occurs reversibly. The independent effect of carbon monoxide and hydrogen partial pressures on regioselectivity and enantioselectivity were measured. From 40 to 120 psi, both regioisomer (b:l) and enantiomer (R:S) ratios are proportional to the carbon monoxide partial pressure but approximately independent of the hydrogen pressure. The absolute rate for linear aldehyde formation was found to be inhibited by carbon monoxide pressure, whereas the rate for branched aldehyde formation is independent of CO pressure up to 80 psi; above 80 psi one observes the onset of inhibition. The carbon monoxide dependence of the rate and enantioselectivity for branched aldehyde indicates that the rate of production of (S)-2-phenyl propanal is inhibited by CO pressure, while the formation rate of the major enantiomer, (R)-2-phenyl propanal, is approximately independent of CO pressure. Hydroformylation of α-deuteriostyrene at 80 °C followed by conversion to (S)-2-benzyl-4-nitrobutanal reveals that 83% of the 2-phenylpropanal resulted from rhodium hydride addition to the re face of styrene, and 83% of the 3-phenylpropanal resulted from rhodium hydride addition to the si face of styrene. On the basis of these results, kinetic and steric/electronic models for the determination of regioselectivity and enantioselectivity are proposed.

The N-alkylation of ammonia (or its surrogates, such as urea, NH 4HCO3, and (NH4)2CO3) and amines with alcohols, including primary and secondary alcohols, was efficiently promoted under anaerobic conditions by the easily prepared and inexpensive supported ruthenium hydroxide catalyst Ru(OH)x/TiO2. Various types of symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted "tertiary" amines could be synthesized by the N-alkylation of ammonia (or its surrogates) and amines with "primary" alcohols. On the other hand, the N-alkylation of ammonia surrogates (i.e., urea and NH 2HCO3) with "secondary" alcohols selectively produced the corresponding symmetrically substituted "secondary" amines, even in the presence of excess amounts of alcohols, which is likely due to the steric hindrance of the secondary alcohols and/or secondary amines produced. Under aerobic conditions, nitriles could be synthesized directly from alcohols and ammonia surrogates . The observed catalysis for the present N-alkylation recations was intrinsically heterogeneous, and the retrieved catalyst could be reused without any significant loss of catalytic performance. The present catalytic transformation would proceed through consecutive N-alkylation reactions, in which alcohols act as alkylating reagents. On the basis of deuterium-labeling experiments, the formation of the ruthenium dihydride species is suggested during the N-alkylation reactions.

Reduction of allylic alcohols can be promoted efficiently by the supported ruthenium catalyst Ru(OH)x/Al2O3. Various allylic alcohols were converted to saturated alcohols in excellent yields by using 2-propanol without any additives. This Ru(OHx/Al 2O3-catalyzed reduction of a dienol proceeds only at the allylic double bond to afford the corresponding enol, and chemoselective isomerization and reduction can be realized under similar conditions. The catalysis is truly heterogeneous and the high catalytic performance can be maintained during at least three recycles of the Ru(OH)x/Al 2O3 catalyst. The transformation of allylic alcohols to saturated alcohols consists of three sequential reactions: oxidation of allylic alcohols to α,β-un-saturated carbonyl compounds; reduction of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds to saturated carbonyl compounds; and reduction of saturated carbonyl compounds to saturated alcohols.

We have developed gold/platinum alloyed bimetallic cluster catalysts supported on a cross-linked polystyrene derivative, which present much higher activity and selectivity than single metal gold or platinum clusters for aerobic oxidation of alcohols under ambient conditions. The Royal Society of Chemistry.

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. (Chemical Equation Presented).

Tridentate N,N,N-pyridinebisimidazolines have been studied as new ligands for the enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of prochiral ketones. High yields and excellent enantioselectivity up to >99 % ee have been achieved with an in situ generated cataly

Novel ruthenium carbene complexes have been in situ generated and tested for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Applying Ru(cod)(methylallyl)2 in the presence of imidazolium salts in 2-propanol and sodium-2-propanolate as base, turnover frequencies up to 346 h-1 have been obtained for reduction of acetophenone. A comparative study involving ruthenium carbene and ruthenium phosphine complexes demonstrated the higher activity of ruthenium carbene complexes.

Three kinds of hydrogen-transfer reactions, namely racemization of chiral secondary alcohols, reduction of carbonyl compounds to alcohols using 2-propanol as a hydrogen donor, and isomerization of allylic alcohols to saturated ketones, are efficiently promoted by the easily prepared and inexpensive supported ruthenium catalyst Ru(OH)x/Al2O 3. A wide variety of substrates, such as aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic alcohols or carbonyl compounds, can be converted into the desired products, under anaerobic conditions, in moderate to excellent yields and without the need for additives such as bases. A larger scale, solvent-free reaction is also demonstrated: the isomerization of 1-octen-3-ol with a substrate/catalyst ratio of 20000/1 shows a very high turnover frequency (TOF) of 18400 h 1, with a turnover number (TON) that reaches 17200. The catalysis for these reactions is intrinsically heterogeneous in nature, and the Ru(OH)x/Al2O3 recovered after the reactions can be reused without appreciable loss of catalytic performance. The reaction mechanism of the present Ru(OH)x/Al2O 3-catalyzed hydrogentransfer reactions were examined with monodeuterated substrates. After the racemization of (S)-1-deuterio-1-phenylethanol in the presence of acetophenone was complete, the deuterium content at the α-position of the corresponding racemic alcohol was 91%, whereas no deuterium was incorporated into the α-position during the race mization of (S)-1-phenylethanol-OD. These results show that direct carbon-to-carbon hydrogen transfer occurs via a metal monohydride for the racemization of chiral secondary alcohols and reduction of carbonyl compounds to alcohols. For the isomerization, the α-deuterium of 3-deuterio-1-octen-3-ol was selectively relocated at the β-position of the corresponding ketones (99% D at the β-position), suggesting the involvement of a 1,4-addition of ruthenium monohydride species to the α,β-unsaturated ketone intermediate. The ruthenium monohydride species and the α,β-unsaturated ketone would be formed through alcoholate formation/β-elimination. Kinetic studies and kinetic isotope effects show that the Ru - H bond cleavage (hydride transfer) is included in the rate-determining step.

The mechanism of hydrogen transfer from alcohols to ketones, catalysed by lanthanide(III) isopropoxides or zeolite Beta has been studied. For the lanthanide catalysed reactions, (S)-1-phenyl-(1-2H 1)ethanol and acetophenone were used as case studies to determine the reaction pathway for the hydrogen transfer. Upon complete racemisation all deuterium was present at the 1-position, indicating that the reaction exclusively takes place via a carbon-to-carbon hydrogen transfer. Zeolite Beta with different Si/Al ratios was applied in the racemisation of (S)-1-phenylethanol. In this case the racemisation does not proceed via an oxidation/reduction pathway but via elimination of the hydroxy group and its readdition. This mechanism, however, is not characteristic for all racemisation reactions with zeolite Beta. When 4-tert-butyl cyclohexanone is reduced with this catalyst, a classical MPV reaction takes place exclusively. This demonstrates that zeolite Beta has a substrate dependent reaction pathway.

We report here a novel procedure for the reduction of ketones to secondary alcohols using catalytic quantities of commercially available Cp2TiCl2, inexpensive Zn dust and water as proton source. Mechanistically the reaction presumably proceeds via titanoxy radicals. In practice this reduction process has significant advantages: it shows an interesting selectivity pattern, takes place under mild conditions using safe, cheap reagents and does not require anhydrous solvents. The proton-donor activity of water under these conditions avoids the use of the frequently poisonous hydrogen-atom donors generally required to reduce free radicals. This procedure is also highly convenient for synthesising deuterium-labelled alcohols employing relatively inexpensive D2O as deuterium source.

The selectivity-determining step in enantioselective copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation with diazo compounds has been studied by experimental and computational methods. The addition of the very reactive metallacarbene intermediate in an early transition st

Deuterium NMR in an aqueous non-chiral liquid crystal allows the discrimination of enantiomers through their ordering inside β-cyclodextrins.

The mechanism of metal-catalyzed hydrogen transfer from alcohols to ketones has been studied. Hydrogen transfer (H-transfer) from (S)-α-deutero-α-phenylethanol ((S)-1) to acetophenone was used as a probe to distinguish between selective carbon-to-carbon H-transfer and nonselective transfer involving both oxygen-to-carbon and carbon-to-carbon H-transfer. The progress of the reaction was monitored by the decreasing enantiomeric excess of (S)-1. After complete racemization, the alcohol was analyzed for its deuterium content in the α-position, which is a measure of the degree of selectivity in the H-transfer. A number of different rhodium, iridium, and ruthenium complexes (in total 21 complexes) were investigated by using this probe. For all rhodium complexes a high degree of retention of deuterium at α-carbon (95-98%) was observed. Also most iridium complexes showed a high degree of retention of deuterium. However, the results for the ruthenium complexes show that there are two types of catalysts: one that gives a high degree of deuterium retention at α-carbon and another that gives about half of the deuterium content at α-carbon (37-40%). Two different mechanisms are proposed for transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogen transfer, one via a monohydride (giving a high D content) and another via a dihydride (giving about half of D content). As comparison non-transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogen transfer was studied with the same probe. Aluminum- and samarium-catalyzed racemization of (S)-1 gave 75-80% retention of deuterium in the α-position of the alcohol, and involvement of an electron transfer pathway was suggested to account for the loss of deuterium.

Ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer from (S)-α-deuterio-α- phenylethanol [(S)-1] to acetophenone with catalyst 3 occurs with retention of deuterium at the α-carbon of the alcohol product whereas H/D scrambling occurs with catalyst 2.

A number of deuterated alcohols are rapidly (ca. 1 min) synthesized through the microwave enhanced solid state reduction of the corresponding aldehydes and ketones using alumina doped sodium borodeuteride (NaBD4).

Allylic and benzylic alcohols were oxidized in good yields to the respective ketones by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) in the presence of copper salts under phase-transfer catalysis conditions. This dehydrogenation was found to proceed via a heterolytic mechanism. CuCl2, CuCl, and even copper powder were equally facile as catalysts, as they were all transformed in situ to Cu(OH)Cl which was extracted into the organic phase by the phase-transfer catalyst (PTC). Deuterium labeling experiments evidenced the scission of the benzylic C-H bond in the rate-determining step. Nonproductive TBHP decomposition was not observed in the presence of the alcohol substrates. Conversely, the oxygenation of π-activated methylene groups in the same medium was found to be a free radical process, and the major products were the appropriate tert-butyl peroxides. Catalyst deactivation, solvent effects, and extraction effects are discussed. By applying Minisci's postulations concerning the relative reactivity of TBHP molecules towards tert-butoxyl radicals in protic and nonprotic environments, the coexistence of the homolytic and the heterolytic pathways can be explained. A complete reaction mechanism is proposed, wherein the free-radical oxidation obeys Kochi's mechanism, and the heterolytic dehydrogenation is based on either a high-valent CuIV=O species or a [Cu(OH)Cl]2 species.

Most secondary alcohols and β,γ-unsaturated primary alcohols have been catalytically oxidized with N-chloro-4-chlorobenzenesulfonamide sodium salt to the corresponding carbonyl compounds by the addition of a 0.01-0.03 molar amount of dimethyl 2,2′-diselenodibenzoate in good-to-excellent yields, and a catalytic species, methyl 2-[N-(4-chlorophenylsulfonyl)aminoseleno]benzoate (8), was isolated from the reaction mixture. The catalytic oxidation cycle for this reaction is proposed; the decomposition of esters, which are produced by the reaction of alcohols with oxidized 8, was found to be the rate-determining step.

Some aspects of the fragmentation sequence of 1-phenylalkan-1-ols(C6H5CH(OH)R), which consists of the loss of R(.) followed by the elimination of CO and subsequently of H2, are discussed.Labelling studies and collision activation data of reference compounds allow a mechanism to be proposed for this rearrangement.

A quantitative oxygenation of styrene to 1-phenylethanol is realized in a reaction catalyzed by an iron complex of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridino)porphine tetrachloride (FeTMPyP) in water at pH 12 containing NaBH4.A plausible mechanism involving a styrene carbanion stabilized by Fe(III)TMPyP as an intermediate is presented.

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Various ketones are readily reduced by an acid-stable NADH model compound, 10-methylacridan (AcrH2), in the presence of perchloric acid in acetonitrile.Rates of the acid-catalyzed reduction of ketones by unprotonated AcrH2 are well correlated with rates of the acid-catalyzed photoinduced electron-transfer reactions from the excited state of 2+ to the ketones.

The benzylic hydroxylation of ethylbenzene, p-diethylbenzene, tetralin, indane, and toluene by the fungi Mortierella isabellina, Cunninghamella echinulata, and Helminthosporium species has been investigated by the use of deuterium-labelled substrates.An i

Fluoride ion catalyzed reduction of aldehydes and ketones with hydrosilane in HMPA is found to involve a hexavalent silicate (1-) as the active hydride species, and no evidence is obtained for interaction of the carbonyl oxygen with the silic