1,4-Butanediol as a Reducing Agent in Transfer Hydrogenation Reactions
alkene reductions, although in the case of Ru-
ACHTUNGTRENNUNG(PPh3)3(CO)H2, catalytic activity was almost completely re-
moved in the presence of DPEphos.
We then preformed the reduction of a range of alkenes
using [RuACHTUNGTRENNUNG(p-cymene)Cl2]2 with DPEphos and 1,4-butanediol
as the reducing agent (Table 4). Simple alkenes were re-
Table 4. Alkenes reduced with 1,4-butanediol.
Scheme 5. Asymmetric reduction reactions with 1,4-butanediol.
Entry
Alkene substrate
Conversion
into alkane [%]
effect the isomerization were too forcing to allow any appre-
ciable enantiomeric excess to be observed in the reduced
product.
1
2
88 (73)[c]
84
3
4
98 (85)
42
Conclusions
5
6
96 (82)
1,4-Butanediol has been shown to be an effective reducing
agent in ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen-transfer reactions.
Aldehydes and ketones have been reduced to alcohols,
whereas allylic alcohols undergo an isomerization/reduction
sequence. Imines and alkenes can be reduced to the corre-
sponding amines and alkanes. The main advantage of 1,4-
butanediol as a reducing agent is that the equilibrium prob-
lem found with simpler alcohols is overcome by lactone for-
mation of its oxidation product.
88 (70)[d]
7
8
74 (62)
70 (51)
9
93 (71)[d]
96 (85)[e]
10
[a] Yields of isolated product are given in parentheses. [b] The alkene
(1 mmol) and 1,4-butanediol (1 mmol) were reacted with [Ru(p-cyme-
AHCTUNGTRENNUNG
ne)Cl2]2 (2.5 mol%), DPEphos (5 mol%), Cs2CO3 (10 mol%) in toluene
(1 mL) in toluene at reflux for 24 h. [c] Reactions run for 48 h. [d] Reac-
tions run for 72 h. [e] 96% conversion refers to (E)-1,2-diphenylethene.
Experimental Section
Further details, compound characterization and NMR spectra are avail-
able in the Supporting Information.
duced with good conversions, although a higher catalyst
loading was needed compared with the reduction of allylic
alcohols. The 1,1-disubstituted alkene (entry 4) reacted
more slowly than the other alkenes. Interestingly, it was pos-
sible to reduce the alkyne (entry 10) selectively to the (E)-
alkene, even though there was sufficient 1,4-butanediol pres-
ent for complete reduction.
Typical procedure for reduction of aldehydes and ketones; 1-phenyl-1-
propanol (Table 1, entry 8):[15] To an oven-dried, argon purged carousel
tube charged with RuACHTUNGTRNEG(UN PPh3)3(CO)H2 (22.9 mg, 0.025 mmol), DPEphos
(13.5 mg, 0.05 mmol), and tBuOK (5.6 mg, 0.05 mmol), was added pro-
piophenone (133 mL, 1 mmol), 1,4-butanediol (89 mL, 1 mmol), and tolu-
ene (1 mL). The reaction mixture was heated to reflux for at least 24 h.
The crude reaction mixture was filtered through celite and silica, washed
through with DCM, and concentrated in vacuo. This was then purified by
column chromatography [petroleum ether (b.p. 40–608C)/diethyl ether]
providing 1-phenyl-1-propanol (0.1196 g, 88%). IR (neat): n˜max =3341,
We have also briefly investigated the use of 1,4-butanediol
in asymmetric reactions.[8] By using the Noyori catalyst of
[RuACHTUNGTRENNUNG
(p-cymene)Cl2]2 with (S,S)-TsDPEN,[14] we were able to
1
2964, 2934, 2877, 1592, 1491, 1408 cmÀ1; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): d=
achieve very high enantioselectivity for the reduction of ace-
tophenone, but with modest conversion (Scheme 5). A
higher conversion was achieved in the reduction of 3-chlor-
oacetophenone, using a higher catalyst loading at 408C, but
the enantioselectivity was lower. Nevertheless, it is interest-
ing to note that alternative catalysts are compatible with
1,4-butanediol as a reducing agent, and that hydrogen trans-
fer can be achieved under mild reaction conditions.
We also considered the possibility that an isomerization
of racemic 1-phenyl-prop-2-en-1-ol could proceed via the
achiral ketone with subsequent asymmetric reduction lead-
ing to enantiomerically enriched alcohol. However, using
the Noyori catalyst, the reaction conditions required to
7.28–7.33 (m, 5H, Ph), 4.59 (t, 1H, J=6.5 Hz, CH), 1.76 (m, 2H, CH2),
0.91 ppm (t, 3H, J=7.5 Hz, CH3); 13C NMR (75.4 MHz, CDCl3): d=
143.0, 128.5, 127.3, 119.1, 75.3, 32.0, 9.6 ppm.
Typical procedure for reduction of allylic alcohols; 1-phenyl-1-propanol
(Table 2, entry 1):[15] To an oven-dried, argon-purged carousel tube
charged with [RuACHTUNTRGNEUNG(p-cymene)Cl2]2 (3.1 mg, 0.005 mmol), dppf (3.1 mg,
0.01 mmol), and tBuOK (2.2 mg, 0.02 mmol), was added a-vinylbenzyl al-
cohol (131 mL, 1 mmol) and 1,4-butanediol (0.5 mL, ~5 mmol), and the
mixture was heated to 1108C for at least 24 h. The crude product was pu-
rified by column chromatography (silica gel, Et2O–petroleum ether (b.p.
408C–608C)), providing 1-phenyl-1-propanol (0.1253 g, 92%) as a color-
less liquid. Rf =0.22 (Et2O–petroleum ether (b.p. 408C–608C), 4:1). For
spectroscopy data, see above.
Typical procedure for reduction of imines; N-benzylbenzenamine
(Table 3, entry 1):[16] To an oven-dried, argon-purged carousel tube
Chem. Asian J. 2010, 5, 538 – 542
ꢀ 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
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