Catalytic Activity of Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Complexes Containing Polypyridine and Phosphorus–Nitrogen Ligands in the Hydrogen Transfer of Acetophenone

Abstract

This work reports the synthesis and characterization of a novel rhenium(I) complex incorporating a phosphorus–nitrogen (P,N) ligand. The compound crystallizes in a distorted octahedral geometry, as confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The complexes were evaluated as catalysts in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone using 2-propanol as the hydrogen source. Comparative studies with other rhenium(I) complexes bearing polypyridine ligands revealed high catalytic performance, achieving conversions between 68% and 99%. These results highlight the promising potential of P,N-ligand rhenium complexes in homogeneous transfer hydrogenation catalysis. The optimal reaction time was found to be 4 h for the complexes studied, with only the fac-[Re(CO)3(PN)Cl] complex showing improved conversion upon extending the reaction time to 7 h, likely due to the donor effects provided by the P,N-ligand. © 2025 by the authors.