Selective Ruthenium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenations of Nitriles to Amines with 2-Butanol

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 19; no. 14; pp. 4437 - 4440
• Main Authors: Werkmeister, Svenja, Bornschein, Christoph, Junge, Kathrin, Beller, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 02.04.2013; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Aliphatic compounds; Alkynes - chemistry; Amines; Amines - chemical synthesis; Amines - chemistry; Butanols - chemistry; Catalysis; Catalysts; Chemistry; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; Hydrogen; Hydrogen storage; Hydrogenation; Nitriles; Nitriles - chemistry; phosphane ligands; Physical Sciences; Reduction; ruthenium; Ruthenium - chemistry; Science & Technology; transfer hydrogenation; ASYMMETRIC TRANSFER HYDROGENATION; IRON-PORPHYRIN CATALYSTS; amines; transfer hydrogenation; HYDROAMINATION; ALKYNES; BIOMIMETIC TRANSFER HYDROGENATION; HYDRIDE COMPLEXES; ruthenium; KETONES; phosphane ligands; BENZONITRILE; nitriles; REDUCTION; LIGANDS
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.201204633

Transfer your hydrogen: Fast and general transfer hydrogenation of nitriles to form primary amines is possible with a homogeneous Ru/1,4‐bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (DPPB) catalyst (see scheme). The use of 2‐butanol as the hydrogen‐transfer reagent is essential for the selective reduction of aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic nitriles with this system.