Synthesis of β-hydroxyamides through ruthenium-catalyzed hydration/transfer hydrogenation of β-ketonitriles in water: Scope and limitations

Publication date: Available online 30 May 2019Source: Journal of Organometallic ChemistryAuthor(s): Rebeca González-Fernández, Pascale Crochet, Victorio CadiernoAbstractA cascade process for the straightforward one-pot conversion of β-ketonitriles into β-hydroxyamides is presented. The process, that proceeds in water employing the arene-ruthenium(II) complex [RuCl2(η6-p-cymene){P(4-C6H4F)2Cl}] as catalyst in combination with sodium formate, involves the initial hydration of the β-ketonitrile substrates to generate the corresponding β-ketoamide intermediates, which subsequently undergo the transfer hydrogenation (TH) of the carbonyl group. Employing a family of forty different β-ketonitriles, featuring diverse substitution patterns, the scope and limitations of the process have been established.Graphical abstractA ruthenium(II)-catalyzed cascade process for the one-pot conversion of β-ketonitriles into β-hydroxyamides in water is presented.

Source: Journal of Organometallic Chemistry - May 31, 2019 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research