Aldehyde effect and ligand discovery in Ru-catalyzed dehydrogenative cross-coupling of alcohols to esters.

The presence of different aldehydes is found to have a significant influence on the catalytic performance when using PN(H)P type ligands for dehydrogenation of alcohols. Accordingly, hybrid multi-dentate ligands were discovered based on an oxygen-transfer alkylation of PNP ligands by aldehydes. The relevant Ru-PNN(PO) system provided the desired unsymmetrical esters in good yields via acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols. Hydrogen bonding interactions between the phosphine oxide moieties and alcohol substrates likely assisted the observed high chemoselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]