Highly Selective Synthesis of cis‐2,2,4,4‐Tetramethylcyclobutane‐1,3‐diol via Solvent‐Free Hydrogenation and Isomerization

Abstract In this study, ruthenium‐on‐carbon‐catalyzed hydrogenation of CBDK was developed for the production of cis‐ CBDO under solvent‐free conditions. Isomerization using a ruthenium catalyst and hydrogen gas may improve the selective formation of cis ‐CBDO. Moreover, the reaction mechanisms for cis‐ selectivity was proposed based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations.