Dehydrogenation as a substrate-activating strategy in homogeneous transition-metal catalysis.

Hydrogen autotransfer in the N-alkylation of amines and related compounds using alcohols and amines as electrophiles.

N atom, thus providing carbenes derived from pyrazolium, isothiazolium, and even quinolinium salts that contain a stabilizing heteroatom in a remote position (G-J in Figure 1). Recently, carbenes such as K, which are comprised of only one heteroatom and lack delocalization through the heterocycle, have been discovered as versatile ligands, thus constituting another important class of carbenes with low heteroatom stabilization. Both the synthesis of the organometallic complexes of these ligands as well as the (catalytic) properties of the coordinated metal centers generally show distinct differences, compared to the more classical NHC complexes, such as C2-metallated imidazolylidenes. This review intends to describe such differences and highlights the chemical peculiarities of these types of N-heterocyclic carbene complexes. It introduces, in a qualitative manner, the synthetic routes that have been established for the preparation of such complexes, covering the literature from the very beginning of activities in this area up to 2008. While specialized reviews on some aspects of the present topic have recently appeared,7 a comprehensive overview of the subject has not been available thus far. Rather than just being descriptive, the present account is mainly directed toward the impact of these still unusual metal-carbene bonding modes on the electronic properties and on the new catalytic applications that have been realized by employing such new carbene complexes. As a consequence of our focus on complexes with less-stabilized heterocyclic ligands, systems comprising acyclic carbenes have not been included, and the interested reader is, instead, referred to the pioneering and

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Beyond Conventional N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Abnormal, Remote, and Other Classes of NHC Ligands with Reduced Heteroatom Stabilization

Alcohols can be temporarily converted into carbonyl compounds by the metal-catalysed removal of hydrogen. The carbonyl compounds are reactive in a wider range of transformations than the precursor alcohols and can react in situ to give imines, alkenes, and α-functionalised carbonyl compounds. The metal catalyst, which had borrowed the hydrogen, then returns it to the transformed carbonyl compound, leading to an overall process in which alcohols can be converted into amines, compounds containing CC bonds and β-functionalised alcohols.

Borrowing hydrogen in the activation of alcohols

Bok Tae Kim

Papers

Ruthenium-catalysed oxidative cyclisation of 2-aminobenzyl alcohol with ketones: modified Friedlaender quinoline synthesis

An unusual type of ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of ketones with alcohols accompanied by C-C coupling.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed One-Pot β-Alkylation of Secondary Alcohols with Primary Alcohols

Ruthenium-catalyzed regioselective α-alkylation of ketones with primary alcohols

Ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative coupling and cyclization between 2-aminobenzyl alcohol and secondary alcohols leading to quinolines