Non-Precious Metal-Catalyzed Oxidant Free (De)-hydrogenation of Alcohols for Organic Transformations

Recently, there is a potential drive to replace the precious noble-metal catalysts using earth abundant and inexpensive non-noble metals for sustainable organic transformations. We have studied the applications of Ni-, Fe- and Mn-based catalysts for selective construction of amines, amides, five or six-membered N-heterocycles, activation of weak sp3 C-H bond, E-selective olefins and functionalization of ketone enolates. A detailed mechanistic and kinetics studies were also established for such transformations.