An unusual dimerization of primary unsaturated alcohols catalyzed by RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3
When primary unsaturated alcohols were treated with a catalytic amount of RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3 in benzene under reflux, dimerization reactions took place to give α-hydroxymethyl ketones as major product. The Royal Society of Chemistry 2006.
RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3-catalyzed reductive dimerization of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes leading to α-hydroxymethyl ketones
The reductive dimerization α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to give saturated ketones was achieved using RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3 as a catalyst in the presence of secondary alcohols as hydrogen source. The reaction is likely to proceed via the hydroruthenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes followed by aldol reaction of the resultant ruthenium enolates with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to give unsaturated α-hydroxymethyl ketones, which undergo transfer hydrogenation to give α-hydroxymethyl ketones. Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart.