Ruthenium(ii) arene complexes bearing simple dioxime ligands: effective catalysts for the one-pot transfer hydrogenation/N-methylation of nitroarenes with methanol?

Catalysis Science & Technology Pub Date: 2023-03-03 DOI: 10.1039/D3CY00218G

Abstract

The reductive N-monomethylation of nitroarenes is a reaction of wide scientific interest that can be conveniently realized in one-pot using methanol as the reductant (H2 donor), methylating agent and solvent. Ruthenium(II) η6-arene complexes are increasingly investigated as efficient catalytic precursors for (transfer) hydrogenation and dehydrogenation processes. In this framework, amino or alcohol groups working as proton-relay units are essential to realize a metal–ligand cooperative catalysis. Herein, starting from commercially available and inexpensive dioxime ligands, {RC[double bond, length as m-dash]N(OH)}2, we developed novel ruthenium(II) arene complexes that efficiently catalyze the tandem reduction/N-methylation of aromatic nitrocompounds with methanol. Thus, the complexes [RuX(κ2N-dioxime)(η6-p-cymene)]+ (Cl/dimethylglyoxime, [1]+; Cl/nioxime, [2]+; I/nioxime, [3]+), [RuCl(κ2N-dioxime)(η6-C6Me6)]+ (dimethylglyoxime, [4]+; nioxime, [5]+; diphenylglyoxime, [6]+) and [RuCl(κ2N-nioxime)(η6-1,3,5-C6H3Me3)]+ ([7]+) were isolated as nitrate or hexafluorophosphate salts in high yields and characterized by analytical (CHN content, conductivity) and spectroscopic (IR, NMR) techniques. Furthermore, three zwitterionic oxime–oximato derivatives were prepared (2?H4?H) and the crystal structures of both dioxime ([3]+, [4]+) and oxime–oximato (4?H) complexes were elucidated by X-ray diffraction. Following optimization of the reaction conditions for the one-pot reduction/N-methylation of nitrobenzene as benchmark substrate (MeOH, tBuOK, 130 °C, 18 h), the catalytic activity of the dioxime complexes [1–7]+ and selected ruthenium(II) compounds for comparative purposes was assessed. The best catalytic precursor, [3]NO3, was effective in the conversion of a series of aromatic nitrocompounds into the respective N-methyl anilines, which were isolated as hydrochloride salts following silica chromatography. NMR and MS experiments carried out on the model catalytic system (nitrobenzene/[3]NO3) confirmed the role of methanol as C1 and H2 source and gave insights about organic intermediates. Following in situ bis-deprotonation to the dioximato complex [3?2H]?, displacement of the η6-arene ligand is proposed as the activation step of the pre-catalyst.

Graphical abstract: Ruthenium(ii) arene complexes bearing simple dioxime ligands: effective catalysts for the one-pot transfer hydrogenation/N-methylation of nitroarenes with methanol
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