Angewandte
Chemie
Table 1: Cobalt-catalyzed alkene hydrogenation.[a]
The 1H NMR spectrum of 2 showed a broad signal at
À20.88 ppm, corresponding to the Si(CH3)3 protons on the
À
alkyl ligand, and the IR spectrum of 2 showed an N H stretch
at 3147 cmÀ1. In the solid state, complex 2 has a distorted
square-planar geometry.
Entry
Substrate
Product
t
[h]
Yield[b]
[%]
Initially, we tested the reactivity of cobalt complexes 1 and
2 with H2, evaluating the catalytic hydrogenation of styrene.
Only very slow hydrogenation occurred using complex
1 (2 mol%), with around 2% conversion of styrene to
ethylbenzene observed after 24 hours at 608C under H2
(1 atm). In contrast, complex 2 was a highly active pre-
catalyst. Complete conversion (50 turnovers) was observed
within two hours at room temperature under just 1 atm
of H2 using 2 (2 mol%, generated in situ from 1 and
1
2
3
4
24
24
24
24
100
100
99
100
H[BArF ]·(Et2O)2). Using an isolated sample of complex 2
4
for the hydrogenation of styrene afforded identical results as
when complex 2 was generated in situ. The hydrogenation of
styrene with precatalyst 2 was unaffected by the addition of
excess Hg metal, which is consistent with an active homoge-
neous catalyst. With a lower catalyst loading (0.05 mol%
5
6
24
24
99
100
7
8
24
24
99
100
1 and 0.05 mol% H[BArF ]·(Et2O)2), a total of 1100 turnovers
4
were observed after 24 hours at room temperature (1 atm H2).
Encouraged by the observation of high activity under such
mild conditions, we explored the substrate scope of this
hydrogenation using cobalt precatalyst 2. The hydrogenation
of a variety of alkenes was tested by employing a combination
9
24
100
10
11
24
40
100
80
of 1 (2 mol%) and H[BArF ]·(Et2O)2 (2 mol%) in THF
4
(Table 1). Hydrogenation of terminal and internal alkenes
proceeded readily within 24 hours at room temperature with
excellent yields (Table 1, entries 5–11). Addition of D2 to
norbornylene occurred with syn stereochemistry, affording
exo,exo-2,3-d2-norbornane. Hydrogenation of (R)-(+)-limo-
nene occurred selectively at the terminal position and the
12
42
99
[a] Conditions: substrate (0.5 mmol) in THF (2 mL), H2 (1 atm), 258C.
[b] Yields determined by GC analysis.
=
internal trisubstituted C C bond was not hydrogenated
(Table 1, entry 11), even under 4 atm H2.[23] At room temper-
ature, hydrogenation of dihydrocarvone occurred only at the
entry 12). To gain insight into the chemoselectivity of the
cobalt catalysis, a competition experiment was performed, in
which a 1:1 mixture of styrene and benzaldehyde was
hydrogenated at room temperature under 1 atm of H2 using
2. Benzaldehyde was hydrogenated more rapidly, with
complete conversion of benzaldehyde and only 16% con-
version of styrene observed after 24 hours.[23]
The hydrogenation of imines is a valuable synthetic route
for the preparation of amines, and thus we tested in situ
generated 2 for the hydrogenation of several imines. Hydro-
genation of N-benzylidenebenzylamine proceeded under
4 atm H2 at 608C to afford dibenzylamine in high yield
(84% yield of isolated product) using 2 mol% of 2 (Table 2,
entry 13). N-Benzylidenemethylamine and N-benzylidene-
aniline were also hydrogenated by the cobalt catalyst
(Table 2, entries 14 and 15). Previous examples of cobalt-
catalyzed imine hydrogenation are scarce.[28]
Given the broad substrate scope, we performed further
experiments to assess the functional-group tolerance of the
catalytic cobalt system (Table 3). According to GC analysis, 4-
penten-1-ol was hydrogenated quantitatively within 24 hours
at room temperature (1 atm H2, Table 3, entry 3). Complex 2
catalyzed the hydrogenation of 4-pentenoic acid to afford
pentanoic acid (82% yield of isolated product) (Table 3,
entry 2). The cobalt catalyst was also active in the presence of
=
C C bond, affording 5-isopropyl-2-methylcyclohexanone in
99% yield (Table 1, entry 12).
There have been few previous reports of cobalt catalysts
capable of ketone or aldehyde hydrogenation. Aldehyde
hydrogenation has been observed as a side reaction in the
hydroformylation of olefins catalyzed by [Co2(CO)8], but
these reactions occur under extremely harsh conditions
(300 atm syngas, 1858C).[11,24,25] Ohgo and Weber developed
a cobalt–dioxime-based system that catalyzed the asymmetric
hydrogenation of benzil, but the substrate scope was limited
to selected 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds.[26,27] Thus, we were
surprised to find that cobalt precatalyst 2 was quite active for
hydrogenation of both aldehydes and ketones under mild
conditions.
Hydrogenation of acetophenone proceeded in nearly
quantitative yield under 1 atm of H2 (Table 2, entry 1).
Aliphatic ketones 2-hexanone and 2-indanone were reduced
in high yields at 608C (Table 2, entries 5 and 6). Benzaldehyde
and substituted benzaldehydes were also reduced in excellent
yields within 24 hours under 1 atm of H2 (Table 2, entries 8–
11). The unsubstituted aliphatic aldehyde 1-octanal was
hydrogenated more slowly, and 1-octanol was isolated in
92% yield after 64 hours at 608C under 4 atm of H2 (Table 2,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 12102 –12106
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