Stereoselective synthesis of optically active pyridyl alcohols via asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of pyridyl ketones

✍ Scribed by Kazuya Okano; Kunihiko Murata; Takao Ikariya

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 69 KB
• Volume: 41
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0040-4039
• DOI: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)01695-6

✦ Synopsis

A chiral Ru(II) complex, RuCl(S,S)-N-(p-toluenesulfonyl)-1,2-diphenyl-ethylenediamine, serves as an efficient catalyst for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of 2-acetylpyridine with a substrate to catalyst molar ratio of 200-1000 with HCOOH as a hydrogen source to give (S)-1-(2-pyridyl)ethanol in an almost quantitative yield and with 95% ee.