Transfer hydrogenation promoted by N-heterocyclic carbene and water.

Transfer hydrogenation of unfunctionalised alkenes using N-heterocyclic carbene ruthenium catalyst precursors.

Transfer hydrogenation of unfunctionalised and aliphatic alkenes in iPrOH/KOH is efficiently catalysed by an olefin-tethered N-heterocyclic carbene ruthenium complex, which also catalyses double bond migration as a competitive and considerably faster process.

Electronically tunable N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: 1,3-diaryl vs. 4,5-diaryl substitution.

The catalytic activity of iridium-mediated transfer hydrogenation is readily tuned by electronic variation of the ligated tetraaryl-N-heterocyclic carbene and the installation of electron donating groups on the N-aryl substituents is more important than on the C-aryl substituents for effecting catalytic enhancement.

N-heterocyclic carbenes of iridium(I): ligand effects on the catalytic activity in transfer hydrogenation.

New Ir-NHC complexes based on different heterocyclic moieties like imidazole, benzimidazole and imidazolidine are presented and tested in transfer hydrogenation catalysis. A broad range of steric and electronic properties of NHC ligands is covered to give an idea for catalyst design from the experimental point of view.

Iridium(I) Complexes with Hemilabile N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Efficient and Versatile Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysts

Highly enantioselective [4 + 2] cyclization of chloroaldehydes and 1-azadienes catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbenes.

Highly functionalized dihydropyridinones were synthesized via the N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed enantioselective [4 + 2] annulation of α-chloroaldehydes and azadienes. Hydrogenation of the resulted dihydropyridinones afforded the corresponding piperidinones with high enantiopurity.