New way for efficient catalysis by using low valent ruthenium complexes as redox Lewis acid and base catalysts

Low valent ruthenium hydride complexes are excellent catalysts which act as either redox Lewis acid or base catalysts. Nitriles are substrates which have strong coordination ability towards transition metals, so new types of catalytic transformations of nitriles have been explored using these catalysts. qs redox Lewis acid catalysts, hydration of nitriles, amidation of amines, and esterification of alcohols with nitriles can be achieved. The same catalyst can be used for direct formation of carbon nucleophiles by C-H activation of pronucleophiles, such as nitriles and carbonyl compounds, hence catalytic aldol-type reactions and Michael-type additions can be performed under neutral and mild conditions.