Rhodium versus ruthenium:: contrasting behaviour in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of α-substituted acetophenones

The reduction of a number of alpha -substituted acetophenones has been achieved using both ruthenium(II)- and rhodium(III) -based asymmetric transfer hydrogenation catalysts employing formic acid as the hydrogen donor. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.