2015, Verkade, Jorge M. M., Quaedflieg, Peter J. L. M., Verzijl, Gerard K. M., Lefort, Laurent, van Delft, Floris L., de Vries, Johannes G., Rutjes, Floris P. J. T.

The γ-amino alcohol structural motif is often encountered in drugs and natural products. We developed two complementary catalytic diastereoselective methods for the synthesis of N-PMP-protected γ-amino alcohols from the corresponding ketones. The anti-products were obtained through Ir-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, the syn-products via Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation.

2017-4-21, van Putten, Robbert, Uslamin, Evgeny A., Garbe, Marcel, Liu, Chong, Gonzalez-de-Castro, Angela, Lutz, Martin, Junge, Kathrin, Hensen, Emiel J. M., Beller, Matthias, Lefort, Laurent, Pidko, Evgeny A.

Catalytic hydrogenation of carboxylic acid esters is essential for the green production of pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and fine chemicals. Herein, we report the efficient hydrogenation of esters with manganese catalysts based on simple bidentate aminophosphine ligands. Monoligated Mn PN complexes are particularly active for the conversion of esters into the corresponding alcohols at Mn concentrations as low as 0.2 mol % in the presence of sub-stoichiometric amounts of KOtBu base.