title: Applications of ruthenium hydride borohydride complexes containing phosphinite and diamine ligands to asymmetric catalytic reactions.
abstract: [reaction: see text] A series of novel trans-ruthenium hydride borohydride complexes with chiral phosphinite and diamine ligands were synthesized. They can be used in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aryl ketones, including base-sensitive ones, to give chiral alcohols in moderate to good enantioselectivities (up to 94% ee). They are also efficient catalysts for the Michael addition of malonates to enones with enantioselectivities of up to 90%. This kind of catalyst allows a one-pot tandem Michael addition/H(2) hydrogenation protocol to build structures with multiple chiral centers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Rongwei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xuanhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elpelt
authors.forename: Datong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Morris