Asymmetric hydrogenation of acetophenone in the presence of Ru(II) catalysts coordinated by TolBINAP and a series of chiral 1,2-diamines was studied. The sense and degree of enantioselectivity were highly dependent on the N-substituents of the diamine ligands. The N-substituent effect was discussed in detail. Among these catalysts, the (S)-TolBINAP/(R)-DMAPEN-Ru(II) complex showed the highest enantioselectivity. The mode of enantioface selection was interpreted by using transition state models based on the X-ray structure of the catalyst precursor. The chiral catalyst effected the hydrogenation of alkyl aryl ketones and arylglyoxal dialkyl acetals to afford the chiral alcohol in >99% ee in the best cases. Hydrogenation of racemic benzoin methyl ether with the chiral catalyst through dynamic kinetic resolution gave the anti-alcohol (syn:anti = 3:97) in 98% ee, while the reaction of alpha-amidopropiophenones resulted in the syn-alcohols (syn:anti = 96:4 to >99:1) in >98% ee.

Binap catalyst doesn't dmapen expectations: In basified 2‐propanol, [RuCl2{(S)‐tol‐binap}{(R)‐dmapen}] (1, see picture, Ar=4‐CH3C6H4) catalyzes the highly enantioselective hydrogenation of a series of aryl vinyl ketones and affords the allylic alcohols in high yields with up to 98 % ee. Formation of the saturated ketones and alcohols is suppressed with triphenylphosphine when necessary.

Efficient isomerization: The title reaction was catalyzed by the [RuCl2{(S)-tol-binap}{(R)-dbapen}]/KOH system in ethanol at 25 °C (see scheme). A series of E- and Z-configured aromatic and aliphatic allylic alcohols, including a simple primary alkyl-substituted compound (E)-3-methyl-2-hepten-1-ol, were transformed into the chiral aldehydes with at least 99 % ee. dbapen = 2-dibutylamino-1-phenylethylamine, tol-binap = 2,2'-bis(di-4-tolylphosphanyl)-1,1'-binaphthyl.

[reaction: see text] A catalyst system consisting of RuCl2[(S)-tolbinap][(R)-dmapen] and t-C4H9OK in 2-propanol effects asymmetric hydrogenation of arylglyoxal dialkylacetals to give the alpha-hydroxy acetals in up to 98% ee. Hydrogenation of racemic alpha-amidopropiophenones under dynamic kinetic resolution predominantly gives the syn alcohols in up to 99% ee and >98% de, while the reaction of racemic bezoin methyl ether gives the anti alcohols in excellent stereoselectivity.