Ruthenium-catalyzed hydroboration of nitriles and imines is attained using pinacolborane with unprecedented catalytic efficiency. Chemoselective hydroboration of nitriles over esters is also demonstrated. A simple [Ru(p-cymene)Cl] complex (1) is used as a catalyst precursor, which upon reaction with pinacolborane in situ generates the monohydrido-bridged complex [{(η-p-cymene)RuCl}(μ-H-μ-Cl)] 2. Further oxidative addition of pinacolborane to intermediate 2 leading to the formation of mononuclear ruthenium hydride species is suggested. Mass spectral analysis of the reaction mixture and independent experiments with phosphine-ligated ruthenium complexes indicated the involvement of mononuclear ruthenium intermediates in the catalytic cycle. Consecutive intramolecular 1,3-hydride transfers from the ruthenium center to coordinated nitrile and boronate imine ligands, leading to the reduction and resulting in the formation of diboronate amines, are proposed as a plausible reaction mechanism.

Using the [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2]2 (1) complex, catalytic hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones with pinacolborane under neat and mild conditions is reported. At rt, chemoselective hydroboration of aldehydes over the ketones is also attained. Mechanistic studies confirmed the immediate formation of monohydride bridged dinuclear complex [{(η(6)-p-cymene)RuCl}2(μ-H-μ-Cl)] (1b) from the reaction of 1 with pinacolborane, which catalyzed the highly efficient hydroboration reactions. The catalytic cycle containing mononuclear Ru-H species and intramolecular 1,3-hydride transfer is postulated.

Simple ruthenium precursor [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2]2 1 catalyzed regioselective 1,4-dearomatization of pyridine derivatives using pinacolborane is reported. Two catalytic intermediates, [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2Py] 2 and [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2(P(Cy)3)] 3, involved in this process are identified, independently synthesized, characterized, and further used directly as effective catalysts; two more catalytic intermediates [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2(Py)(P(Cy)3)] 4 and [Ru(p-cymene)(H)Cl(Py)(P(Cy)3)] 5 are identified in solution. Complex 5 is the active catalytic intermediate. An intramolecular selective 1,5-hydride transfer in 5 leading to the regioselective 1,4-hydroboration of pyridine compounds is proposed.

Highly selective ruthenium catalyzed α-deuteration of primary alcohols and α,β-deuteration of secondary alcohols are achieved using deuterium oxide (D2O) as a source of deuterium and reaction solvent. Minimal loading of catalyst (Ru-macho), base (KO(t)Bu), and low temperature heating provided efficient selective deuteration of alcohols making the process practically attractive and environmentally benign. Mechanistic studies indicate the D-O(D/R) bond activations by metal-ligand cooperation and intermediacy of carbonyl compounds resulting from dehydrogenation of alcohols.

No abstract