A process can be used for producing an organic compound A, which contains at least one primary alcoholic hydroxy group and at least one secondary alcoholic hydroxy group. The process involves reacting a compound B, which contains at least one nitrile group and at least one ketone group, with hydrogen and water in the presence of at least one homogeneous transition metal catalyst TMC 1.

The present disclosure discusses (i) a compound having a chemical formula according to Formula (I), or its enantiomer; and (ii) a compound that is reactive with a hydride to produce a compound having a chemical formula according to Formula (I), or its enantiomer. Formula (I) is: Formula (I) where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are H, optionally substituted C.sub.1-C.sub.3 alkyl, or linked together to form an optionally substituted C.sub.3 or C.sub.4 alkyl group; R.sub.3 and R.sub.3′ are H; R.sub.4 and R.sub.4′ are the same, and are optionally substituted C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl; and R.sub.5 and R.sub.5′ are the same, and are optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl. In some examples, R4 and R5 are linked, and R.sub.4′ and R.sub.5′ are linked, where both linking groups are the same. The present disclosure also discusses methods of asymmetric reduction of an imine, and methods of forming the catalysts and pre-catalysts. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a transition metal complex having a PNNP4 ligand, which is easy to manufacture and handle and is relatively inexpensively available, and a method for manufacturing the same, as well as a method using this transition metal complex as a catalyst for hydrogenation reduction of ketones, esters and amides to manufacture corresponding alcohols, aldehydes, hemiacetals and hemiaminals, a method using this transition metal complex as a catalyst for oxidation of alcohols, hemiacetals and hemiaminals to manufacture corresponding carbonyl compounds, and a method using this transition metal complex as a catalyst for dehydrogenation condensation between alcohols and amines to manufacture alkylamines.

The present invention relates to a preparation method for and an application of a chiral spirocyclic phosphine-nitrogen-phosphine tridentate ligand SpiroPNP and an iridium catalyst Ir-SpiroPNP thereof. The chiral spirocyclic phosphine-nitrogen-phosphine tridentate ligand is a compound represented by formula I, or a racemate or optical isomer thereof, or a catalytically acceptable salt thereof, and the main structural feature is a phosphine ligand having a chiral spiro indene skeleton and a large sterically hindered substituent. The chiral spirocyclic phosphine-nitrogen-phosphine tridentate ligand can be synthesized into a chiral starting material from a 7-diaryl/alkylphosphino-7′-amino-1,1′-spirodihydroindenyl compound having a spiro ring skeleton. The iridium catalyst of the chiral spirocyclic phosphino-7′-amino-1,1′-spirodihydroindenyl compound having a sprio ring skeleton. The iridium catalyst of the chiral spirocyclic phosphine-nitrogen-phosphine tridentate ligand is a compound represented by formula II, or a racemate or optical isomer thereof, or a catalytically acceptable salt thereof. The iridium catalyst can be used to catalyze the asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds, and especially in the asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation of simple dialkyl ketones. Said catalyst exhibits high yield (>99%) and enantioselectivity (up to 99.8% ee), thus having practical value.

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This invention relates to novel hydrogenation catalyst compositions obtainable from reacting metal-based complex hydrogenation catalysts with specific co-catalysts and to a process for selectively hydrogenating nitrile rubbers in the presence of such novel hydrogenation catalyst compositions.

Enantiopure terphenyl presenting two ortho-located chiral axes having the following structural formula (I): their process of synthesis and their use as mono or bidentate ligands for asymmetric organometallic reactions, as organocatalysts, as chiral base and as generator, with metal, of isolable chiral metallic complexes for applications in asymmetric catalysis and others.

Described herein are compositions composed of frustrated Lewis pairs impregnated in porous materials such as, for example, metal-organic frameworks, and their uses thereof. These compositions may allow new applications of frustrated Lewis pairs in catalysis by sequestering and protecting the frustrated Lewis pair within the nanospace of the porous material. Also provided are methods of hydrogenating an organic compound having at least one unsaturated functional group comprising using the compositions described herein.

The present invention relates to the use of a transition metal catalyst TMC1, which comprises a transition metal M selected from metals of groups 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the periodic table of elements according to IUPAC and a tetradentate ligand of formula I wherein R.sup.1 are identical or different and are each an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, and R.sup.2 are identical or different and are each an organic radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, as catalyst in processes for formation of compounds comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)— starting from at least one primary alcohol and/or hydrogenation of compounds comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)—. The present invention further relates to a process for hydrogenation of a compound comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)—, to a process for the formation of a compound comprising at least one carboxylic acid ester functional group —O—C(═O)— by dehydrogenase coupling of at least one primary alcohol with a second alcoholic OH-group, to a transition metal complex comprising the tetradentate ligand of formula I and to a process for preparing said transition metal complex. ##STR00001##

Arene-immobilized Ru(II)TsDPEN Noyori-Ikariya catalysts anchored to silica through the coordinated η6-arene are provided. The catalysts efficiently catalyze many reactions, including the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones to alcohols.

The present invention relates to novel processes for the enantioselective iridium-catalysed hydrogenation of oximes and oxime ethers to provide compounds of formula (II) and salts thereof formula (I) and (II).

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