On Water and in Air: Fast and Highly Chemoselective Transfer Hydrogenation of Aldehydes with Iridium Catalysts

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of aldehydes

Racemic alpha-arylaldehydes provide the corresponding primary alcohols via dynamic kinetic resolution in excellent enantioselectivities and yields upon hydrogenation using a Noyori ruthenium catalyst; for example, the biologically active (S)-enantiomer of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen could be synthesized via catalytic enantioselective hydrogenation of aldehyde followed by oxidation with potassium permanganate in 76% isolated yield and 96 : 4 er.

Aqueous-phase asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones ? a greener approach to chiral alcohols

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) has emerged as a practical, powerful alternative to asymmetric hydrogenation for the production of chiral alcohols, one of the most valuable intermediates in chemical synthesis. In the last a few years, ATH in neat water has proved to be viable, affording chiral alcohols in fast rates, high productivity and high enantioselectivity. The reduction can be carried out with unmodified or tailor-made catalysts by using mild, readily available formate salt as reductant with no organic solvents required, thus providing a simple, economic and green pathway for alcohol production. This Feature Article attempts to present an account of the progress made on aqueous-phase transfer hydrogenation (TH) reactions, with a focus on ATH. The coverage includes a brief background of the chemistry, TH and ATH reactions in water, and the mechanistic aspects of the aqueous-phase reduction.