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Updated: May 16, 2026

Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
Visible-light assisted dehydrogenation of benzylamines catalysed by a standalone ruthenium complex
Laura Ibáñez-Ibáñez1, Mario Del Pico-Carranza2, Gregorio Guisado-Barrios2
1Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, Av. Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellón, Spain. jmata@uji.es.
Abstract:
The dehydrogenation of benzyl amines to produce the corresponding nitriles and H2 is an appealing strategy due to their application in hydrogen storage technologies. On the other hand, a wide range of current synthetic strategies to produce nitriles require a stepwise synthesis and severe reaction conditions. Here, we report an efficient visible-light promoted ruthenium(II) catalyzed hydrogen production from benzylic amines to the corresponding nitrile derivatives at room temperature and without additives. Our photocatalytic system comprises a single anionic 2-pyridonate based piano stool ruthenium precatalyst playing a dual role, harvesting visible-light and enabling H2 generation in methanol. Mechanistic studies support pre-dissociation of the p-cymene ligand after light irradiation and formation of a solvato derivative that further enhances the catalytic activity towards nitrile formation.
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