title: Hydrogenation of esters to alcohols with a well-defined iron complex.
abstract: We present the first base-free Fe-catalyzed ester reduction applying molecular hydrogen. Without any additives, a variety of carboxylic acid esters and lactones were hydrogenated with high efficiency. Computations reveal an outer-sphere mechanism involving simultaneous hydrogen transfer from the iron center and the ligand. This assumption is supported by NMR experiments.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 29a, 18059 Rostock (Germany).
authors.forename: Svenja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Werkmeister
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Junge
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wendt
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alberico
authors.forename: Haijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Junge
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gallou
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beller
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004952:Esters; D006865:Hydrogenation; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D056831:Coordination Complexes; D004952:Esters; D007783:Lactones; D007501:Iron
keywords: alcohols; esters; homogeneous catalysis; hydrogenation; iron