Alida H. Éll

An efficient and mild ruthenium-catalyzed racemization of amines: application to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure amines

An efficient and mild Ru-catalyzed racemization of amines under transfer hydrogenation conditions is reported. A significant advantage of this new procedure is that the ruthenium hydrogen transfer catalysts allow high functional group tolerance. Interestingly, both primary and secondary amines were efficiently racemized under these conditions. We also report on the combination of this new amine racemization with an enzymatic kinetic resolution of primary amines.

Mechanism of ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer reactions. Evidence for a stepwise transfer of CH and NH hydrogens from an amine to a (cyclopentadienone)ruthenium complex

Kinetic deuterium isotope effects and racemization studies indicate that dehydrogenation of an amine by a (cyclopentadienone)ruthenium complex occurs via a slow β-hydride elimination of coordinated amine followed by a proton transfer from nitrogen to carbonyl oxygen.

Vanadyl acetylacetonate as peroxide activator in osmium-catalyzed dihydroxylation of olefins by hydrogen peroxide

Olefins are selectively and efficiently oxidized to vicinal syn-diols by aqueous hydrogen peroxide using a coupled catalytic system consisting of osmium tetroxide, vanadyl acetylacetonate and N-methylmorpholine