Enantioselective hydrogen transfer hydrogenation on rhodium colloid systems with optically active stabilizers

Hydrogen transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone and methyl benzoylformate with 2-propanol was studied on colloidal systems obtained by reduction of rhodium complexes in the presence of optically active compounds: chiral diamines, quaternary salt (4S,5S)-(–)-N 1,N 4-dibenzylene-2,3-dihydroxy-N 1,N 1,N 4,N 4-tetramethylbutane-1,4-diammonium dichloride and (8S,9R)-(–)-cinchonidine. The increase in the molar ratio modifier/Rh leads to the increase in the enantioneric excess (ee) of the reaction products. The largest ee [43.8% of (R)-1-phenylethanol and 58.2% of methyl ester of (R)-mandelic acid] were achieved for the ratios (8S,9R)-(–)-cinchonadine: Rh = 9: 1 and 3: 1, respectively. The catalyst was characterized by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and thermal analysis.