Diastereoselectivity and catalytic activity in ruthenium complexes chiral at the metal centre

Cis-RuCl2(diphosphine)(CAMPY) complexes, chiral at the metal centre with matching or mismatching chiralities between diphosphine and CAMPY were prepared and the configuration at the metal was determined in solution by a complete set of NMR investigations; CAMPY is (R)-(-) or (S)-(+)-8-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline. The complexes were used in ATH reactions of different aryl ketones with 2-propanol as hydrogen source. The effects of the chirality at the metal were studied and enantiomeric excesses up to 99% were obtained.