Highly Active Ruthenium(II) Complex Catalysts Bearing an Unsymmetrical NNN Ligand in the (Asymmetric) Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones

摘要

Exceptionally active ruthenium(II) complexes without an ancillary NH functionality, but bearing a (chiral) unsymmetrical pyridyl-benzimidazolyl-based NNN ligand, exhibited very high catalytic activity in the (asymmetric) transfer hydrogenation ((A)TH) of ketones. The corresponding RuH complex, which is presumably the catalytically active species, was successfully isolated and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography.