Dedicated to Professor Masahiro Murakami on the occasion of his retirement from Kyoto
University
A rhodium(III)-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of unsaturated ketones was developed.
The simple catalytic system could be used for the 1,4-reduction of unsaturated cyclic,
acyclic ketones, diketones, as well as β-ketoester, and a variety of functional groups
were well-tolerated, affording products in moderate to excellent yields.
Key words
1,4-reduction - unsaturated ketone - rhodium(III) catalysis - transfer hydrogenation
- isopropanol