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Enantioselective hydrocyanation of aldehydes catalyzed by [Li{Ru(phgly)2(binap)}]X (X = Cl, Br)
Nobuhito Kurono1, Tatsuya Yoshikawa, Mikio Yamasaki
1Division of Chemical Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
Abstract:
Novel bimetallic complexes [Li{Ru[(S)-phgly](2)[(S)-binap]}]X (X = Cl, Br) are readily synthesized by mixing Ru[(S)-phgly](2)[(S)-binap] and LiX. A single-crystal X-ray analysis reveals the structure. These bimetallic complexes efficiently catalyze asymmetric hydrocyanation of aldehydes with a substrate-to-catalyst molar ratio of 500-2000 at -78 to -60 °C. A range of aromatic, heteroaromatic, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes as well as a tert-alkyl aldehyde is converted to the cyanohydrins in high enantiomeric excess (up to 99%).
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