Hydrogenation of polar functionalities with Cp*Ru(PN) catalysts.

Paper based on a presentation at the 14th International Symposium on Organometallic Chemistry Directed Towards Organic Synthesis (OMCOS-14), 2-6 August 2007, Nara, Japan. Other presentations are published in this issue, pp. 807-1194This account deals with an overview of our recent progress toward the development of molecular catalysts for the reduction in polar functionalities with molecular hydrogen (H2). An emphasis is placed on the newly designed Cp*Ru(PN) complexes, which have been identified as efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of imides. The structural modification of the complex enhances the catalytic performance and allows efficient access to various chiral synthetic intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]