Use of Phase-Transfer Reaction Conditions for the Hydrogenation of Conjugated Dienes and α,β-Unsaturated Ketones with a Homogeneous Metal Hydride Catalyst

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo01307a025

The homogeneous water-soluble hydrogenation catalyst K3 has been shown to be very active in hydrogenation reactions with conjugated dienes and α,β-unsaturated ketones when used under phase-transfer reaction conditions.Thus, conjugated dienes are converted into monoenes, generally with overall 1,4-addition to yield E products, and α,β-unsaturated ketones to saturated ketones in high yield.Because of rate accelerations, stabilization of the catalyst by the phase transfer-onium reagents, and ease of isolation of products, these new reaction conditions make this readily accessible catalytic system useful for synthetic scale reactions for the first time.