Iron phthalocyanine as new efficient catalyst for catalytic transfer hydrogenation of simple aldehydes and ketones

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of various aldehydes and ketones was studied using iron phthalocyanine catalyst, in order to substitute the typically used rare transition metals (Ir, Rh, Ru) with an easily available and less expensive metal. Iron phthalocyanine was found to be an efficient hydrogenation catalyst and its immobilized version was successfully prepared. The immobilized iron phthalocyanine was also active in the CTH reaction of various carbonyl compounds, and it was easy to handle and possible to recycle.