Ruthenium(II)-NHC-catalyzed (NHC = perhydrobenzimidazol-2-ylidene) alkylation of amines using the hydrogen borrowing methodology under solvent-free conditions

Abstract

New ruthenium(II) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene ligand were synthesized by transmetalation reactions between silver(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes and [RuCl2(p-cymene)](2). The complexes were characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. These ruthenium complexes were applied to the N-monoalkylation of aromatic amines with a wide range of primary alcohols under solvent-free conditions using the hydrogen borrowing strategy. The catalytic reactions using all ruthenium complexes resulted in N-monoalkylated products with high selectivities using furfuryl alcohol as the alkylating agent.