title: Ruthenium-catalyzed tandem-isomerization/asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of allylic alcohols.
abstract: A one-pot procedure for the direct conversion of racemic allylic alcohols to enantiomerically enriched saturated alcohols is presented. The tandem-isomerization/asymmetric transfer hydrogenation process is efficiently catalyzed by [{Ru(p-cymene)Cl2 }2 ] in combination with the α-amino acid hydroxyamide ligand 1, and performed under mild conditions in a mixture of ethanol and THF. The saturated alcohol products are isolated in good to excellent chemical yields and in enantiomeric excess up to 93 %.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, The Arrhenius Laboratory, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden).
authors.forename: Tove
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Slagbrand
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Adolfsson
keywords: allylic alcohols; asymmetric catalysis; isomerization; reduction; ruthenium