Iridium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones and Aldehydes Using Glucose as a Sustainable Hydrogen Donor

• Published in: Catalysts Vol. 9; no. 6; p. 503
• Main Authors: Masato Yoshida, Ryota Hirahata, Takayoshi Inoue, Takuya Shimbayashi, Ken-ichi Fujita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01-06-2019
• Subjects: alcohol; aldehyde; functional ligand; glucose; iridium catalyst; ketone; transfer hydrogenation; water solvent
• ISSN: 2073-4344
• DOI: 10.3390/catal9060503

A new catalytic system for transfer hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds using glucose as a hydrogen donor was developed. Various ketones and aldehydes were efficiently converted to corresponding alcohols with two equivalents of glucose in the presence of a small amount (0.1 to 1.0 mol%) of iridium catalyst that had a functional ligand. In this catalytic system, transfer hydrogenation reactions proceeded based on the cooperativity of iridium and a functional ligand. It should be noted that environmentally benign water could have been used as a solvent in the present catalytic system for the reduction of various carbonyl substrates. Furthermore, the reaction scope could be extended by using N,N-dimethylacetamide as a reaction solvent.