Ambient-Pressure Highly Active Hydrogenation of Ketones and Aldehydes Catalyzed by a Metal-Ligand Bifunctional Iridium Catalyst under Base-Free Conditions in Water

Abstract A green, efficient, and high active catalytic system for the hydrogenation of ketones and aldehydes to produce corresponding alcohols under atmospheric-pressure H2 gas and ambient temperature conditions was developed by a water-soluble metal-ligand bifunctional catalyst [Cp*Ir(2,2’-bpyO)(OH)][Na] in water without addition of a base. The catalyst exhibited high activity for the hydrogenation of ketones and aldehydes. Furthermore, it was worth noting that many readily reducible or labile functional groups in the same molecule, such as cyan, nitro, and ester groups, remained unchanged. Interestingly, the unsaturated aldehydes can be also selectively hydrogenated to give corresponding unsaturated alcohols with remaining C=C bond in good yields. In addition, this reaction could be extended to gram levels and has a large potential of wide application in future industrial.