Reports of the use of first row transition metal complexes for the catalytic AH of imine are limited. In 2011 Beller and coworkers reported that a range of N-aryl substituted imines were hydrogenated to amines with ee ranging from 88 to 98% using Knölker's iron complex FeH(CO)2(Cp'OH) (5 mol%) in combination with the homochiral phosphoric acid (S)-TRIP (1 mol%) at 50 bar H2 and 65 °C. 23 In 2014 our group reported that an iron complex [FeBr(CO)2(L 1)]BF4 with the asymmetric ligand (S,S)-PPh2CHPhCHMeNHCH2CH2P i Pr2 (L 1) when activated with LiAlH4/iso-amylalcohol was active in the presence of 10 mol% KO t Bu for the AH of the N-diphenylphosphinoyl imine derived from 1-propiophenone to the amine (90% ee) at 20 atm H2 and 50 °C. 24 Bai et al have described the use of homochiral cyclopentadienone)iron complex for the AH of activated imines but the enantioselectivity was poor (ee of the amine up to 40%). 25 Otherwise there have been several reports of the ATH of activated imines by catalysts based on iron, 26-29 cobalt 30,31 and nickel. 32

A one step procedure towards the synthesis of 4-aryl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazoles and 4-aryl-2,1,3-benzoselenadiazoles using Pd-catalyzed C–H bond arylations was developed.

No abstract