Abstract
A new class of low-cost and easy-to-prepare monodentate phosphite ligands has been developed from readily accessible D-mannitol as starting material through a two-step transformation. Additionally, a simple and reliable protocol to synthesize neutral ruthenium phosphite complexes is reported. Four new [RuCl2(p-cymene)(L)] complexes were prepared by binding the desired phosphite ligands with [RuCl2(p-cymene)] 2 individually in 89-96% isolated yield. The desired Ru-complex 1 revealed full conversion (100%) with good enantioselectivity (ee: 73%, 83% isolated yields) toward asymmetric hydrogenation of a, a, a-trifluoroacetophenone. (C) 2013 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.