Synthesis, characterization, and application to transfer hydrogenation of eta(6)-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-eta(1)-N-heterocyclic carbene-ruthenium complex

A new chelating ruthenium complex was synthesized using an electron-rich olefin and [RuCl2(p-cymene)](2) and characterized structurally and spectroscopically. The structure of the complex was verified using X-ray crystallography. The complex displayed high activities in transfer hydrogenation.