New Dipyridylamine Ruthenium Complexes for Transfer Hydrogenation of Aryl Ketones in Water

A new family of cationic organometallic chloro compounds of the type [(arene)Ru(N,N)(Cl)]⁺ containing N,N-chelating dipyridylamine ligands has been synthesized and isolated as the chloride salts, which are water soluble and stable to hydrolysis. The resulting mononuclear ruthenium complexes catalyze the transfer hydrogenation of aryl ketones in aqueous solution to give the corresponding alcohols with good conversion and interesting recyclability.