Patent ID: 6858688

Claim:
An amino acid complex of the formula I, where the variables are defined as follows: M is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Pd, Pt and Ir, X is selected from the group consisting of O and S; R 1 to R 3 are identical or different and are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, C 7 -C 13 -aralkyl, C 6 -C 14 -aryl which is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one identical or different substituent selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted, C 3 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, C 7 -C 13 -aralkyl, C 6 -C 14 -aryl, halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxy, C 6 -C 14 -aryloxy, SiR 4 R 5 R 6 and O—SiR 4 R 5 R 6 , where R 4-R 6 are selected from the group consisting of C 1-C 8 -alkyl, C 3 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, C 7 -C 13 -aralkyl and C 6 -C 14 -aryl; five- to six-membered nitrogen-containing heteroaryl radicals Y, unsubstituted or substituted by at least one identical or different substituent selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 3 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, C 7 -C 13 -aralkyl, C 6 -C 14 -aryl, halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxy, C 6 -C 14 -aryloxy, SiR 4 R 5 R 6 and O—SiR 4 R 5 R 6 , where R 4 -R 6 are selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 3 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, C 7 -C 13 -aralkyl and C 6 -C 14 -aryl; and CH 2 —Y, where R 1 and R 2 optionally are joined to one another to form a 5- to 10-membered ring; y is an integer from 0 to 4; L 1 is an uncharged, inorganic or organic ligand selected from the group consisting of phosphines (R 7 ) x PH 3−x , amines (R 7 ) x NH 3−x , ethers (R 7 ) 2 O, H 2 O, alcohols (R 7 )OH, pyridine, pyridine derivatives of the formula C 5 H 5−x (R 7 ) x N, CO, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl nitriles and C 6 -C 14 -aryl nitriles, where x is an integer from 0 to 3; L 2 is an inorganic or organic anionic ligand, where L 1 and L 2 optionally are joined to one another by one or more covalent bonds, and is selected from the group consisting of halide ions, amide anions (R 7 ) h NH 2−h , where h is an integer from 0 to 2, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl anions, the allyl and methallyl anions, the benzyl anion and C 6 -C 14 -aryl anions; R 7 are identical or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 3 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, C 7 -C 13 -aralkyl and substituted or unsubstituted C 6 -C 14 -aryl; z is an integer ranging from 1 to 3.