Chemoselective Supported Ionic-Liquid-Phase (SILP) Aldehyde Hydrogenation Catalyzed by an Fe(II) PNP Pincer Complex

A base-tolerant supported ionic-liquid-phase (SILP) system containing a well-defined hydride Fe(II) PNP pincer complex has been prepared, structurally characterized, and used as catalyst in the hydrogenation of aldehydes to alcohols. The new SILP catalyst, with the optimum pore filling, was highly active exhibiting TONs and TOFs of up to 1000 and 4000 h–1, respectively, under mild conditions (25 °C, 10–50 bar H2 pressure) without significant leaching of both the complex and the IL.