Ruthenium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenation Through an Intermolecular Hydrogen Atom Transfer Mechanism

The direct dehydrogenation of alkanes is among the most efficient ways to access valuable alkene products. Although several catalysts have been designed to promote this transformation, they have unfortunately found limited applications in fine chemical synthesis. Here, we report a conceptually novel strategy for the catalytic, intermolecular dehydrogenation of alkanes using a ruthenium catalyst. The combination of a redox-active ligand and a sterically hindered aryl radical intermediate has unleashed this novel strategy. Importantly, mechanistic investigations have been performed to provide a conceptual framework for the further development of this new catalytic dehydrogenation system.

Automated summary

The study introduces a novel strategy for the catalytic, intermolecular dehydrogenation of alkanes using a ruthenium catalyst, which involves a combination of a redox-active ligand and a sterically hindered aryl radical intermediate to unleash the new strategy. Mechanistic investigations have been conducted to provide a conceptual framework for the further development of this new catalytic dehydrogenation system.