Six ruthenium-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes (2-7) have been prepared and the new compounds characterized by C, H, N analyses, H-1-n.m.r. and C-13-n.m.r. The reduction of ketones to alcohols via transfer hydrogenation was achieved with catalytic amounts of complexes (2-7) in the presence of t-BuOK.
C1 Inonu Univ, Dept Chem, Fac Sci & Arts, TR-44280 Malatya, Turkey.
Ege Univ, Dept Chem, TR-35100 Izmir, Turkey.