CONTEXT

The hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) is one of the most important chemical processes in both academic and industrial research. Hydrogen transfer (H-transfer) catalysis, which consists in using H-donors like 2-propanol instead of hazardous molecular H₂, is an attractive methodology. However, it requires the use of either heavy and precious transition metals (Ru, Rh, Ir) associated to sophisticated ligands, or the use of more than stoichiometric amounts of aluminium alkoxides (Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reaction). The large use of alcohols as intermediates and targets throughout the materials and life science industries provides a strong motivation for further methodological developments.