A series of chiral secondary alcohols were easily prepared by means of asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral aromatic ketones using a new（（Rax）-BuP）/（R,R）-DPEN-Ru（Ⅱ） complex catalyst system.The hydrogenation of 2-methylacetophenone in n-butanol （t-BuOK/Ru =45.6/1,S/C = 500,20 atm.of H2,20℃,48 h） afforded（S）-1-（2＇-methylphenyl）ethanol in 92%ee and〉99% conversion.
Effects of Lewis acid BF3·OEt2, and BrCnsted acids TsOH, CF3COOH, H3PO4, and HCIO4 as cocatalyst respectively on the ligand-free palladium-catalyzed amidocarbonylation were investigated. SO3H-functional ionic liquids 1-methyl-3-（4-sulfonic acid）butylimidazolium hydrosulfate [MIm（CH2）4803H][HSO4] and 1-methyl-3-（4-sulfonic acid）butylimidazolium triflate [MIm（CH2）4SO3H][OTf] were firstly employed as cocatalysts instead of these Lewis acid and Brφnsted acids. By using a ligand-free and weak corrosive catalyst in situ prepared form PdBr2, LiBr.H2O, and [MIm（CH2）4SO3H][OTf], the arnidocarbo- nylation of benzaldehyde, acetamide, and CO could proceed smoothly and afford N-acetyl-α-phenylglycine with yield of 58% in [C6mim]PF6 medium.
