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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
Aminophosphine ligands R(2)P(CH(2))(n)NH(2) and ruthenium hydrogenation catalysts RuCl(2)(R(2)P(CH(2))(n)NH(2))(2)
Wenli Jia1, Xuanhua Chen, Rongwei Guo
1Kanata Chemical Technologies Inc., 101 College Street, Office 230, MaRS Centre, South Tower, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
Abstract:
The aminophosphine ligands R(2)P(CH(2))(2)NH(2) and R(2)P(CH(2))(3)NH(2) (R = Ph, (i)Pr, (t)Bu) were isolated in good to excellent yields from the reaction of LiPR(2) with Cl(CH(2))(2)N(TMS)(2) and Cl(CH(2))(3)N(TMS)(2), respectively, followed by hydrolysis. This approach allows fine tuning of the ligands' stereoelectronic properties through the variation of the substituents on the phosphine. The aminophosphine ligands were used to prepare the ruthenium complexes RuCl(2)(R(2)P(CH(2))(2)NH(2))(2) and RuCl(2)(R(2)P(CH(2))(3)NH(2))(2) by reacting a 2:1 mixture of the respective ligand and [RuCl(2)(cod)](n) in an appropriate solvent. The resulting complexes were found to be excellent catalysts for the hydrogenation of ketones and imines.
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