Hydrogenation of Esters Catalyzed by Ruthenium PN³‑Pincer Complexes Containing an Aminophosphine Arm

Hydrogenation of esters under mild conditions was achieved using air-stable ruthenium PN3-pincer complexes containing an aminophosphine arm. High efficiency was achieved even in the presence of water. DFT studies suggest a bimolecular proton shuttle mechanism which allows H2 to be activated by the relatively stable catalyst with a reasonably low transition state barrier.