Hydrogenation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Nitriles Using a Defined Ruthenium PNP Pincer Catalyst.

Selective catalytic reductions of nitriles are presented using the commercially available Ru-Macho-BH complex. A variety of aliphatic, aromatic and (hetero)cyclic nitriles including industrially important adipodinitrile are hydrogenated to the corresponding primary amines. Modelling suggests the reaction follows an outer sphere hydrogenation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]