Patent ID: 8232430

Claim:
A method for the production of cis-4-tertbutylcyclohexanol comprising contacting 4-tert-butylcyclohexanone with hydrogen gas, a catalyst comprising a ruthenium-aminophosphine complex and a base, wherein the complex is of the formula (I): RuX 2 (PNH 2 ) a (P 2 ) b (I) wherein X is a suitable anionic ligand and may be the same or different; a is 1 or 2: b is 0 or 1, where a+b=2; (PNH 2 ) represents an aminophosphine ligand of formula (II): R 1 R 2 P-L-NH 2 (II) (P 2 ) represents a diphosphine ligand of the formula III R 3 R 4 P-L-PR 5 R 6 (III) wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are simultaneously or independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkenyl, C 6-14 aryl, heteroaryl, OR 7 and NR 7 R 8 , said latter 9 groups being optionally substituted, or R 1 and R 2 and/or R 3 and R 4 and/or R 5 and R 6 are linked together to form an optionally substituted monocyclic or polycyclic ring system having 4 or more atoms, including the phosphorous atom to which said groups are bonded, and in which one or more carbon atoms in said monocyclic or polycyclic ring system is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 7 , SiR 7 and SiR 7 R 8 ; L is selected from C 1-10 alkylene, C 2-10 alkenylene, C 2-10 alkynylene, (C 6-14 arylene) m , C 1-10 alkylene-C 6-14 arylene, C 6-14 arylene-C 1-10 alkylene and C 1-10 alkylene-(C 6-14 arylene) m -C 1-10 alkylene, said latter 7 groups being optionally substituted; m is 1, 2 or 3; the optional substituents are selected from one or more of halo, OR 7 , NR 7 R 8 and R 9 ; and R 7 and R 8 are simultaneously or independently selected from H, fluoro-substituted-C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, C 2-6 alkenyl, C 2-6 alkynyl, C 6-14 aryl and C 1-6 alkylene-C 6-14 aryl; and R 9 is selected from fluoro-substituted-C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, C 2-6 alkenyl, C 2-6 alkynyl, C 6-14 aryl and C 1-6 alkylene-C 6-14 aryl, wherein the cis-4-tertbutylcyclohexanol is prepared having a cis:trans ratio of 80:20 or more with respect to the cis isomer.