title: Unprecedented iron-catalyzed ester hydrogenation. Mild, selective, and efficient hydrogenation of trifluoroacetic esters to alcohols catalyzed by an iron pincer complex.
abstract: The synthetically important, environmentally benign hydrogenation of esters to alcohols has been accomplished in recent years only with precious-metal-based catalysts. Here we present the first iron-catalyzed hydrogenation of esters to the corresponding alcohols, proceeding selectively and efficiently in the presence of an iron pincer catalyst under remarkably mild conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot (Israel).
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zell
authors.forename: Yehoshoa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben-David
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milstein
keywords: esters; homogenous catalysis; hydrogenation; iron complexes; pincer ligands