title: Chiral-at-metal iridium complex for efficient enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones.
abstract: A bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complex with metal-centered chirality catalyzes the enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of ketones with high enantioselectivities at low catalyst loadings down to 0.002 mol%. Importantly, the rate of catalysis and enantioselectivity are markedly improved in the presence of a pyrazole co-ligand. The reaction is proposed to proceed via an iridium-hydride intermediate exploiting metal-ligand cooperativity (bifunctional catalysis).
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China. gongl@xmu.edu.cn meggers@chemie.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China. gongl@xmu.edu.cn meggers@chemie.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China. gongl@xmu.edu.cn meggers@chemie.uni-marburg.de and Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meggers