Ruthenium Phenylindenyl Complex as an Efficient Transfer Hydrogenation Catalyst

Abstract An efficient and green protocol for the transfer hydrogenation of carbonyl and imine compounds is presented. The transformations are catalysed by the inexpensive and easily synthesised complex [RuCl(PPh 3 )(3‐phenylindenyl)]. Its catalytic activity was compared to that of the most commonly encountered ruthenium complexes in transfer hydrogenation reactions involving several protypical substrates.