Amino-amides are important pharmaceutical building-blocks. The enantioselective reduction of trichloromethyl ketones using ruthenium transfer hydrogenation catalysts is reported. The products react in a range of Jocic-type reactions to give enantiomerically enriched amino-amides.

Trichloromethyl Ketones: Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation and Subsequent Jocic-Type Reactions with Amines. -Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of trichloromethyl ketones (I) is achieved using a Noyori-type ruthenium-complex as catalyst. Resulting alcohols (II) are converted into a variety of chiral amino-amides by a Jocic reaction. -(PERRYMAN, M. S.; HARRIS, M. E.; FOSTER, J. L.; JOSHI, A.; CLARKSON, G. J.; FOX*, D. J.; Chem. Commun. (Cambridge) 49 (2013) 85, 10022-10024, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c3cc46070c ; Dep. Chem., Univ. Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; Eng.) -R. Staver 08-031