Metal-Free Frustrated Lewis Pair Catalyzed 1,4-Hydrogenation of Conjugated Metallocene Dienamines

Frustrated Lewis pairs, highly active in heterolytic dihydrogen splitting, were used as active and very selective hydrogenation catalysts for organometallic substrates. Conjugated dienamines fixed at the ferrocene framework and at the zirconocene nucleus were selectively 1,4-hydrogenated under catalytic conditions at ambient temperature.