Patent ID: 8198488

Claim:
A process for the reduction by hydrogenation, using molecular H 2 , of a C 3 -C 70 substrate containing one, two or three esters, or lactones, functional groups into the corresponding alcohol, or diol, characterized in that said process is carried out in the presence of a base and at least one catalyst or pre-catalyst of the general formula [Ru(PP)(NN)(S) 2-n Y n ](Y) 2-n (1) wherein n represents 0, 1 or 2; S represents a neutral C 1 -C 26 neutral monodentate ligand; PP represents a C 6 -C 60 bidentate ligand wherein the coordinating groups are two phosphino groups; NN represents a C 3 -C 40 bidentate ligand wherein the coordinating groups are two amino groups, at least one of said amino groups is a primary amine, and wherein at least one of the carbon atoms to which one of said amino group is bound (the α-carbon) is not a CH 3 — or —CH 2 — group; and each Y represents, simultaneously or independently, a hydrogen or halogen atom, a BH 4 or AlH 4 group, a hydroxyl group, or a C 1 -C 6 alkoxy or carboxylic radical.