Patent ID: 7317131

Claim:
A process for the hydrogenation, using molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), of a C═O double bond of a substrate into the corresponding hydrogenated compound, in the presence of a complex and a base, said process being characterized in that said complex is of formula (II): [Ru(L) m (L′) w XY] (II) wherein X and Y represent, simultaneously or independently, a hydrogen or halogen atom, a hydroxy radical, or a C1 to C8 alkoxy or acyloxy radical; m is 1 or 2, wherein w is 1, m is 1; or wherein w is 0, m is 2; L represents a bidentate N-P ligand of general formula in which formula (III) the dotted line indicates a single or double bond; n is an integer from 1 to 4; z is 0 or 1 when the carbon-nitrogen bond with the dotted line represents a double, respectively single bond; R′ represents a hydrogen atom, a linear, branched or cyclic C 1 to C 10 alkyl or alkenyl group, possibly substituted, a R*CO acyl group, or a R*SO 2 group, R* representing a C 1 to C 8 alkyl or aryl group; R 2 and R 3 represent, simultaneously or independently, a linear, branched or cyclic C 1 to C 8 alkyl or alkenyl group, possibly substituted, an aromatic ring, possibly substituted, or an OR 2′ or NR 2′ R 3′ group, R 2 and R 3 being defined as R 2 and R 3 , or said groups R 2 and R 3 being possibly bonded together to form a saturated or aromatic ring having 5 to 10 atoms and including the phosphorous atom to which said R 2 and R 3 groups are bonded; R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 represent, simultaneously or independently, a hydrogen atom, a linear, branched or cyclic C 1 to C 10 alkyl or alkenyl group, possibly substituted, an aromatic ring, possibly substituted, or an OR 4′ or NR 4′ R 5′ group, R 4′ and R 5′ being defined as R 4 and R 5 or two distinct R 4 and/or R 5 groups being possibly bonded together to form a C 5 to C 8 saturated or aromatic ring including the carbon atoms to which each of said R 4 or R 5 group is bonded; and L′ represents a bidentate P-P ligand of formula wherein R 2 and R 3 are defined as in formula (III), and Q represents a linear or cyclic C 2 -C 7 alkylene radical, possibly substituted, a metallocenediyl or a C 6 -C 22 arylene or biaryldiyl radical, possibly substituted, and the possible substituents of R 1 to R 7 and Q are C 1 to C 10 alkoxy or polyalkyleneglycol groups, carboxylic esters, C 1 to C 6 alkyl groups, or C 5 to C 12 cycloalkyl or aromatic groups; wherein the substrate reduced is of formula: wherein W is an oxygen atom, and R a and R b represent simultaneously or independently a hydrogen, an aromatic group possibly substituted, a cyclic, linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl group, possibly substituted, or R a and R b form a ring, possibly substituted; the possible substituents of R a and R b are halogen atoms, OR c , NR c 2 or R c groups, in which R c is a hydrogen atom or a C 1 to C 10 cyclic, linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl group, to provide the corresponding hydrogenated compound of formula: wherein W, R a and R b are defined as in formula (I).