Acceptorless ruthenium catalyzed dehydrogenation of alcohols to ketones and esters?

Catalysis Science & Technology Pub Date: 2012-04-30 DOI: 10.1039/C2CY20066J

Abstract

The ruthenium complex [RuCl2(p-cymene)(IMes)] catalyses the dehydrogenation of alcohols in the presence of K3PO4 as a base and without a hydrogen acceptor. Secondary alcohols are converted to the corresponding ketones whereas primary alcohols are transformed into esters. The dehydrogenation protocol was successfully extended to the dehydrogenation of methyl ricinoleate, a renewable fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), furnishing in high yields the saturated keto-ester methyl 12-oxostearate via a hydrogen borrowing alcohol dehydrogenationalkene hydrogenation tandem reaction.

Graphical abstract: Acceptorless ruthenium catalyzed dehydrogenation of alcohols to ketones and esters
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