Abstract
Aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes are efficiently reduced to their corresponding alcohols in the presence of [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 and KOAc in 2-propanol under air at 80 °C. The presence of KOAc in the reaction is essential; in its absence no reduction takes place. A highly efficient, external-base-free reduction of aldehydes has also been reported with (η6-arene)ruthenium(II) complexes containing O^O chelate ligand such as [Ru(OAc)2(p-cymene)] and [RuCl(KA)(p-cymene)], obtaining alcohol in excellent yield (OAc, acetate; KA, kojic acetate). The scope of the reaction has been extended to a broad range of aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
General experimental procedures, characterization data (1H, 13C NMR, and HRMS) for alcohols, and copies of 1H and 13C NMR spectra for selected alcohols for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.