Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Application of Pyridine‐Bridged N‐Heterocyclic Carbene–Ruthenium Complexes in the Hydrogenation of Carbonates

A series of bulky pyridine‐bridged NHC–Ru complexes have been rationally designed and synthesized; these exhibited very high catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of cyclic and linear carbonates under mild reaction conditions. In the presence of catalytic amounts of a weak base, a broad range of substrates with different ring size and steric bulk were well tolerated, providing methanol and the corresponding diols in excellent yields with a catalyst loading as low as 0.5 mol %.