Synthesis of ruthenium-hydride complexes and preparation procedures of chiral alcohols and ketones

A method of preparing an alcohol compound wherein

• a ruthenium hydride complex expressed by the following general formula (1) is used to prepare an alcohol compound by reduction of a carbonyl compound under the non-presence of a strong base, under the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrogen donating compounds, and either in a reaction solvent or under solvent-free conditions,
• General formula (1):
• (wherein for R1R2P—W—PR3R4, W is a binaphthyl group, which is bonded to phosphorus atoms at positions 2 and 2′ and may have one or more substituents at any of the other positions, each of R1 to R4 is the same or different hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents, R1 and R2 may together form a carbon chain ring that may have one or more substituents, R3 and R4 may together form a carbon chain ring that may have one or more substituents,
• each of R5 to R8 is the same or different hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents,
• Z is a hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents, and
• each of the ligands of Ru may be positioned in any manner).

A method of preparing an alcohol compound wherein

• a ruthenium hydride complex expressed by the following general formula (1) is prepared and used without being isolated to prepare an alcohol compound by reduction of a carbonyl compound under the non-presence of a strong base and under the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrogen donating compounds,
• General formula (1):
• (wherein for R1R2P—W—PR3R4, W is a binaphthyl group, which is bonded to phosphorus atoms at positions 2 and 2′ and may have one or more substituents at any of the other positions, each of R1 to R4 is the same or different hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents, R1 and R2 may together form a carbon chain ring that may have one or more substituents, R3 and R4 may together form a carbon chain ring that may have one or more substituents,
• each of R5 to R8 is the same or different hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents,
• Z is a hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents, and
• each of the ligands of Ru may be positioned in any manner).

A method of separating racemic carbonyl compounds wherein

• a ruthenium hydride complex expressed by the following general formula (1) is used to selectively reduce one enantiomer among carbonyl compounds which are a mixture of different enantiomers to thereby obtain the other enantiomer, under the non-presence of a strong base, under the presence of at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrogen donating compounds, and either in a reaction solvent or under solvent-free conditions,
• General formula (1):
• (wherein for R1R2P—W—PR3R4, W is a binaphthyl group, which is bonded to phosphorus atoms at positions 2 and 2′ and may have one or more substituents at any of the other positions, each of R1 to R4 is the same or different hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents, R1 and R2 may together form a carbon chain ring that may have one or more substituents, R3 and R4 may together form a carbon chain ring that may have one or more substituents,
• each of R5 to R8 is the same or different hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents,
• Z is a hydrocarbon group that may or may not have one or more substituents, and
• each of the ligands of Ru may be positioned in any manner).