Preparation and catalytic hydrogenation properties of some rhodium and ruthenium complexes with chiral tridentate phosphine ligands (S,S)-PhP(CH2CHMeCH2PPh2)2 and (S)-Ph2PCH2CH(PPh2)CH2CH2PPh2)

Treatment of RhCl(ttp*) (ttp*=(S,S)-PhP(CH2CHMeCH2PPh2)2) with NaBH4 produced Rh(BH4)(ttp*). The reaction of RuCl2(ttp*) with NaBH4 produced RuH(BH4)(ttp*). The complexes RhCl(ttp*), RuCl2(ttp*), Rh(BH4)(ttp*), and RuH(BH4)(ttp*) were found to be catalytically active for the hydrogenation of α-acetamidocinnamic acid.