Aerobic Oxidative Dehydrogenation of 2-Substituted Imidazolines Promoted by a Cyclometalated Ruthenium Catalyst

摘要

Imidazole derivatives are chemically and pharmaceutically very important. The oxidative dehydrogenation of imidazolines is a general and reliable method of synthesizing 2-substituted imidazoles; metal salts serving as oxidants are generally employed. However, these reagents often suffer from limitations such as toxicity, explosibility, and harsh reaction conditions, and the use of large amounts of the oxidants produces serious disposal problems. Therefore, the development of a synthetic method employing aerial oxygen without the need for a co-ox-idant is highly desired.