Transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone promoted by (arene)ruthenium(II) reduced Schiff base complexes: an X-ray structure of [(eta(6)-p-cymene)RuCl(OC6H4-2-CH2NHC6H4-p-Me)]

Arene ruthenium(II) reduced Schiff base complexes of formulation [(eta (6)- p-cymene)RuCl(L-n)] (1-5, n = 1-5) were prepared by reacting [(eta (6)-p-cy mene)RuCl2](2) with HLn in the presence of sodium carbonate in CH2Cl2. The complexes contain an eta (6)-p-cymene group, a chloride and a bidentate che lating N,O-donor ligand. The molecular structure of [(eta (6)-p-cymene)RuCl (OC6H4-2-CH2NHC6H4-p-Me)] (1) has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The complexes are found to be catalytically active for transfer hydrogenat ion of acetophenone to (+/- )1-phenylethanol in the presence of KOH and iso propanol showing percent conversion of 98 with the catalysts having a bulky substituent adjacent to the O- and N-donor sites of the auxiliary ligand. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.