A photoactive ruthenium catalyst has come to the aid of US researchers who were attempting to cure a long-standing problem in chemical synthesis.

The catalytic alpha-alkylation of aldehydes has been causing headaches for some time as aldehydes - having been activated by organocatalysts - only react with a very limited number of highly reactive partners.

However, the use of the inorganic ruthenium catalyst has put an end to this hitch, meaning that the researchers are now able to produce previously unattainable compounds.

The reaction is the first ever to combine an organocatalyst and a transition metal catalyst, bringing about the activated aldehyde and alkyl radical conjunction which forms the enantioenriched alpha alkylated aldehyde.

Benjamin List, a leader in the field of organocatalysis at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, said: "This is a transformation I consider a 'dream reaction'. This is clearly a reaction of great promise for natural product synthesis and the production of pharmaceuticals."



Source:

Two catalysts better than one (04/09/08)
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2008/September/04090801.asp