Polystyrene anchored ruthenium(II) complex catalyzed carbonylation of nitrobenzene and amines for the synthesis of disubstituted ureas

The catalytically active complex [Ru(PS-imd)(CO)(2)Cl-2] (PS-imd = polystyrene anchored imidazole) was synthesized and characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. The complex is well characterized and highly stable. The catalytic activity of the resulting species was investigated towards the synthesis of diphenyl urea and other disubstituted ureas. The experiments were carried out under high CO pressure, high temperature condition in mild coordinating media. The catalyst was found to produce excellent yields with high product selectivity. Variable yields are obtained depending on the substituent on nitrobenzene and aniline. The effects of co-solvent and co-catalyst were also studied. The catalyst was very stable and could be reused for more than five times without any noticeable loss of its catalytic activity. (c) 2014 Elsevier BY. All rights reserved.