Ruthenium complexes of tetradentate bipyridine ligands: highly efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of carboxylic esters and lactones†
Abstract
A new type of readily available, air-stable ruthenium complex of tetradentate bipyridine ligands has been developed. These complexes displayed exceptional efficiency for the hydrogenation of aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic esters and lactones at as low as 10 ppm catalyst loading under very mild conditions.