Controlled Selectivity through Reversible Inhibition of the Catalyst: Stereodivergent Semihydrogenation of Alkynes.

ABSTRACT: Catalytic semihydrogenation of internal alkynes using H₂ is an attractive atom-economical route to various alkenes, and its stereocontrol has received widespread attention, both in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyses. Herein, a novel strategy is introduced, whereby a poisoning catalytic thiol is employed as a reversible inhibitor of a ruthenium catalyst, resulting in a controllable H₂-based semihydrogenation of internal alkynes. Both (E)- and (Z)-alkenes were obtained efficiently and highly selectively, under very mild conditions, using a single homogeneous acridine-based ruthenium pincer catalyst. Mechanistic studies indicate that the (Z)-alkene is the reaction intermediate leading to the (E)-alkene and that the addition of a catalytic

SUBMITTER: Luo J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9374179 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature