Water-soluble transition metal complexes of ruthenium(ii), osmium(ii), rhodium(iii) and iridium(iii) with chelating N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation catalysis.

The synthesis of novel Ru(ii), Os(ii), Rh(iii) and Ir(iii) mono-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes with a pyridine substituent is reported. The reaction of the imidazolium salts bearing N-alkyl and sulfonated N-alkyl substituents with AgO leads to the formation of the corresponding Ag(i) complexes. The metal complexes are available in good yields via transmetallation reactions from the corresponding silver complexes and [ArMCl], where Ar = p-cymene or Cp* and M = Ru, Os, Rh or Ir. While N-alkyl substituted NHC complexes are almost insoluble in water (1.55 mg ml), sulfonated N-alkyl substituted NHC complexes display good solubility in water (up to 400 mg mL). All complexes were examined as catalysts in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone, which is quantitatively and highly selective reduced to 1-phenylethanol and 1-cyclohexylethanol. Additionally, the water-soluble complexes were examined in the complete hydrogenation of acetophenone with hydrogen in an autoclave, showing high conversions compared to literature-known systems.