Bidentate Ru(II)‐NC Complexes as Catalysts for α ‐Alkylation of Unactivated Amides and Esters

Five Ru(II)‐NC complexes were tested as catalysts for α ‐alkylation of unactivated amides using alcohols as alkylating agents, and complex {(C 5 H 4 N)‐(C 6 H 4 )}RuCl(CO)(PPh 3 ) 2 ( 1 ) showed the highest activity. With 0.5 mol% catalyst loading, a series of α ‐alkylated amides were isolated at 80 °C within 6 hours. Furthermore, under similar conditions, complex 1 was also active for α ‐alkylation of unactivated esters with alcohols, and the reaction time was shortened to 1.5 hours. The catalytic performance of 1 is comparable to the best reported catalyst.