Ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogenation of nitriles: insights into the mechanism.
Hydrogenation of benzonitrile into benzylamine is catalyzed under very mild conditions by the ruthenium bis(dihydrogen) complex RuH(2)(H(2))(2)(PCyp(3))(2), incorporating two tricyclopentylphosphines. Two key intermediates have been isolated, resulting from the activation of benzonitrile at early stages of activation, i.e., either N-coordination through the nitrile function or first hydrogenation with benzylimine formation, followed by, thanks to C-H activation, coordination at ruthenium as an orthometalated ligand.
Reguillo
Rebeca
R
Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS, UPS, INPT, Université de Toulouse, 205 Route de Narbonne, F-31077 Toulouse, France.
Grellier
Mary
M
Vautravers
Nicolas
N
Vendier
Laure
L
Sabo-Etienne
Sylviane
S