Manganese catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of a wide range of ketones catalyzed by manganese complex as well as chiral PxNy-type ligand under mild conditions was investigated. Using 2-propanol as hydrogen source, various ketones could be enantioselectively hydrogenated by combining cheap, readily available [MnBr(CO)5] with chiral, 22-membered macrocyclic ligand (R,R,R',R')-CyP2N4 (L5) with 2 mol% of catalyst loading, affording highly valuable chiral alcohols with up to 95% ee.