title: Bifunctional catalysis: direct reductive amination of aliphatic ketones with an iridium-phosphate catalyst.
abstract: Chiral amines are one of the ubiquitous functional groups in fine chemical, pharmaceutical and agrochemical products, and the most convenient, economical, and eco-benign synthetic pathway to these amines is direct asymmetric reductive amination (DARA) of prochiral ketones. This paper shows that a wide range of aliphatic ketones can be directly aminated under hydrogenation conditions, affording chiral amines with good to excellent yields and with enantioselectivities up to 96% ee. The catalysis is effected by the cooperative action of a cationic Cp*Ir(III) complex and its phosphate counteranion.
authors.affiliation: Liverpool Centre for Materials and Catalysis, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. barvm@liv.ac.uk
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Villa-Marcos
authors.forename: Chaoqun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Keith R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mulholland
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Jianliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D006865:Hydrogenation; D007495:Iridium / Q000737:chemistry*; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D007659:Ketones; D010710:Phosphates; D007495:Iridium