Dk. Mukherjee et al., DIHYDROGEN REDUCTION OF ORGANIC SUBSTRATES USING ORTHOMETALLATED RUTHENIUM (II) COMPLEX CATALYSTS, Journal of molecular catalysis, 88(1), 1994, pp. 57-70
Dihydrogen reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitrocompounds and nitr
iles, aliphatic ketones and Schiff bases to their corresponding satura
ted products was efficiently carried out in presence of dinuclear orth
ometallated ruthenium (II) complexes of the type [RuL(CO)2Cl]2 (LH = 2
-phenylpyridine, benzo (h) -quinoline, 1 -phenylpyrazole and azobenzen
e) as catalyst precursors under high pressure, high temperature condit
ions in either DMF or DMSO medium. The dinuclear complexes undergo dis
sociation to the corresponding monomer solvent adducts, [RuL(CO)2Cl.S]
(S = DMF, DMSO) which are suggested to be the actual catalytic specie
s. The probable mechanism for the reduction has been suggested on the
basis of kinetic studies and physico-chemical properties of the cataly
st solution during high pressure run.