Johnson Matthey is pleased to announce that it has expanded its portfolio of homogeneous ester hydrogenation catalysts. Together with the ‘Ru-SNS’ catalyst, the addition of ‘Ru-PNN’ extends the spectrum of reaction conditions and applications beyond those previously accessible.
Johnson Matthey provides both catalysts (‘Gusev Technology’) at commercial scale under exclusive licence from Green Centre Canada.
Both Ru-PNN and the complementary and pre-established Ru-SNS catalyst provide cost effective and greener alternatives to the use of hydrides for the reduction of esters and other carbonyl compounds. Mild reaction conditions and minimal work up are significant advantages over hydrides, and a three to ten-fold reduction in the environmental metrics (E-factor) is achievable when replacing hydride processes with Gusev catalyst technology.
In comparison to heterogeneous alternatives, Gusev homogeneous catalysts offer milder reaction conditions (temperature and pressure), which allows for a broader scope and compatibility with a diverse range of functional groups. They also preserve substrate chirality and avoid over-reduction of C=C bonds.
